Another chappie for you!
Krappkarmin: Tell me all about stress. I'm even pronouncing my own name wrong because of it. -_- *quoting the West Wing: I HATE THE WORD STRESS!* he he! Un-stress yourself with this chap!
Tiran: Waaargh! Not only is my bum expanding, but so is my nose! ^_^ Thank you!
Akane: Thanks! I'd hoped it would!
Tensaispira: THREE kampungs? Dahsyat lah you. Next chappie up!
Fiery-ice: *crunches up nose at the smell coming from fiery-ice's direction* Phew! ^_^
Kka: Handjob? Nandayo? ^_^
RPG Hui: Me too! Me too! Even though I created her!
Unchained: Shouri kicks ass? Hahaha! She'd loved to hear that! *quickly decides NOT to tell Shouri*
Crazy4u: Thanks for your generous idea! But I'm afraid I had something else in mind from the beginning. But I might use it for other stories, so watch out! I'm stealing your copyrights! Muahaha! Eh, me won't commit suicide. Am made of stronger stuff than that! (BTW, thanks for reminding me about SPM -_-) Ha ha ha!
Chidero: Tell you my name? Wat for? You already know it! -_-… there goes my mysteriousness… my invisibility… my privacy… Whahahaha! Joking jer. ^_^
Alexia: Yep! Imagination is the zest to life! (other than McDonalds and jet-skiing and …) Eat something swallow-able, even if you're not hungry!
Patty g: Continuing! You want Shouri to snog Kiyota? Wahahahaha! *Shouri smacks patty g's head for such an idea*
Teh tarik: Sluuurp! ^_^ You want Shouri MAD? Are you sure you know what you're asking for?? (hint: ARMAGEDDON). ^_^ Count on Kiyota. I'm sure there'll be more explosions coming along when those two get together!
Mitchy: Thank you for liking it. ^_^ Now all I have to do is make sure you stick to liking it. He he he…
Three days later, she was still boiling over the incident. She avoided Jura (because seeing her brought back the images very vividly) (not that it bothered her) and found various excuses to give. "Sorry, I have a flu. Can't hear very well." "Sorry, I have homework. Yes, I know I never do homework, but I still have them" "Sorry, gotta go. The bus won't wait. No, I don't take the bus, but that doesn't mean the bus will change its mind, does it?"
It wasn't until she started blubbering over a soap opera with a love triangle that Shouri snapped herself up (Mamamia! I never blubber!). She wasn't going to mope around in the kitchen emptying her fridge anymore. What was there to mope about anyway? So what if Jura and Kiyota kissed? Nothing involving her. They could have baby twins for all that she cared, and live happily ever after.
It won't matter.
She should be mature, Shouri decided. She should be clear-minded. She should be nice to Jura and Kiyota, to show them nothing they did could spite her. Yep.
"Shouri, someone's at the door."
"Hmm? It's pretty late. No facial creams, thanks."
"It's not a door-to-door salesmen."
She dragged herself to her feet, spared a sympathetic glance at the hero in the soap opera, and yawning, went to the door. At the sight of Kiyota waiting with an impish grin, all intentions of being nice to him flooded out. "Sorry," Shouri muttered bitingly. "You've got the wrong Hanataka residence. Jura lives three houses down this road. Over there, the one with the underwear hanging to dry. Be prepared. She might jump down her window at the very sight of you without realising she's not wearing one. Bye."
Kiyota was blinking furiously at the words she shot him. "Whoa, wait, wait! Let me process that for a second." He took two. "What makes you think I'm here to see Jura?"
Shouri paused in the act of slamming the door. "Well, I'm not the one you locked lips with, am I?"
It took a moment for that to dawn on him. "Oh. That." He grinned, snickering. "She had a bet with her friends. I think I just helped her win twenty thousand yen. Why do you look so surprised?"
Because she was. "I'm not surprised." Shouri took a deep breath and then narrowed her eyes. "Do you make it a hobby to kiss every girl who asks you to?"
"Sometimes. They like it, I like it."
Her eyes were now little slits of fire. "Oh." She crossed her arms. "What do you want?"
He didn't answer. Watching her, he said, "You're jealous. You do like me." Her reaction was just as expected. Grinning at the deadly glare she sent him, he raised an eyebrow. "Want a kiss from me too, Hanataka?"
"When Hell freezes over. What do you want?"
He pouted a bit at the escaped chance to bully her. "The basketball guys are having this late-night bonfire party at Jin's house. Wanna come?"
Shouri blinked. "Come? Me? You want me to come?"
"Yeah." He shrugged his shoulders. "The entire school's already talking about us –"
"Thanks to you."
" – thanks to me. Why not add to the excitement?"
"So people will be even more convinced that I want to be your girlfriend?"
"Dozens of girls want to be. I'm just saying, since they're fooled, why not fool them some more?"
"Why?"
He blew at his bangs. "Don't you know that's what celebrities do? They fool the paparazzi and drag them around by the noses. Clearly, you've no experience being a celebrity."
Shouri frowned. "You're not one either."
"I will be."
"So this is a practice for when you get famous as you grow up?"
"Yes. I'll be the only basketball player to get a huge amount of media attention."
Shouri snorted, refusing to be charmed by the twinkle of humour in his eyes. "God help us then." She looked back into her house. "Listen, I can't. Unless you've forgotten, we've just gotten into high school. I'm still under strict curfew and I bet you are too. You can't expect my parents to let me go to a late-night party, especially with someone like you."
"Sweet-talk them."
"My parents? I'd sooner jump into an alligator's mouth."
"You won't fit." Audaciously, he pushed her aside and stepped inside. "Watch and learn from the master."
She was at the late-night party, sitting dazedly around a blazing fire with unknown seniors around her. Eyebrows had rose when Kiyota dragged her in. Mouths had talked when he ushered her to a seat, gave her a drink and disappeared to do guy talk with the rest of the guests. And now eyes glanced and stared as she nervously drank what tasted like coke at first sip and chicken poop at the second.
Misako, the gymnast, suddenly appeared next to her. "Hey."
Shouri's head shot up in surprise. Then, telling herself to be calm, she greeted her would-have-been-if-certain-things-hadn't-happened gymnast captain. "Hey yourself."
"Didn't expect to see you here."
Shouri nodded. "Me neither."
"Are you and Kiyota truly an item?"
"Um, well, uh.. aah,… well…"
Loud laughter burst from the other end of the fire. Kiyota was stretching what seemed to be a thong. All the other basketball members seemed to be holding one too, with bemused expressions. One tall girl – whom Shouri identified as a cheerleader – announced that it was their good-luck gifts to the team before quickly attempting to cuddle with Maki.
"I don't think I can wear this," Kiyota muttered, putting the thong against his jeans.
The image came so suddenly to her mind that Shouri couldn't stop the laughter that burst out of her throat louder than the others. That caused Kiyota to look over, along with the rest of the partygoers. Winking, he held out the white underwear in front of him and pointed at her. "But she can!"
"Like Hell." The sting faded in her laughing tone.
"Tonight," he said, wriggling an eyebrow. "At my place."
Other people ooh-ed and aah-ed good-naturedly, and then burst laughing. Misako muttered, "I guess the answer is yes," and joined in the laughter. It didn't stop until somebody yelled out: "Hey! Let's strip Jin naked and make HIM wear this thing!" which received a good "YEAH! Let's!".
Jin was last seen ducking into his garage.
"Chips?" somebody asked politely and rather groggily, smacking the plate right into Shouri's face.
"Hmm? Uh? No, no thanks." Just as carelessly, she pushed the plate away and watched blankly as chips dropped to the ground. Yawning, she elbowed Kiyota, who was sprawled beside her, exhausted after so much fooling around. "Hey. When are we going home?"
"Soon," he said drowsily. "Someday soon."
"You're too close to the fire. I don't want to have to deliver your ashes to your parents in the morning. Roll away."
"Can't. No energy."
"Your pants' on fire."
That jerked him up, made him pat desperately at his pants long before he figured the ruse. With a suffering groan, he crawled away from the fire. "I'm so tired," he muttered. "Where's everybody?"
"Half have gone home. A quarter of them are in the house, and the other quarter of them are going into the house. We're the only loonies staying outside here." She yawned again, stared at her watch. It took her a full five seconds to figure the time. Two a.m. "Let's go home."
He pulled himself up into a half-sitting position. "Let's just talk," he suggested, wincing at the thought of cycling back home. "I'll start. How come you're suddenly coming to watch our basketball practices?"
"Hmm? Oh, well –"
"Other than to see me in action."
"Oh? You're actually a part of the action?"
"Idiot."
"Egoist." Shouri saw Jin peek out of the window and smiled briefly to show him she was still alive. He gave the thumbs-up sign and disappeared again. "Something struck me to be interested in basketball, that's all."
"That must be me."
"No." She watched Misako leave. "I thought it'd be fun to research the game and see how it goes. It's been interesting so far."
"Because of me."
"No. However, I still don't understand a few things, so I get pretty muddled up when watching."
"You could've just asked me. I know everything."
"Yeah," she rolled her eyes, was about to make a sarcastic comment when the advantages of it struck her. "Yeah? You're right. I should've thought of that."
"Humph."
"I'll keep you in mind next time."
"Shouri, I'm always on your mind."
Annoyance snapped back into her eyes. He managed to snort out a laugh.
"I don't bother thinking about empty-headed people who are so wrapped around themselves, I'll have you know."
That had his eyes opening. "WHAT DID YOU SAY? EMPTY-HEADED?? ME?? EMPTY-HEADED?" He started to scream some more when the energy drained out of him. "Darn. I don't even have the spirit to fight anymore."
"Obviously," Shouri smirked, "you're not used to staying up late."
"HAH! SAYS WHO? I ALWAYS stay up late…" He trailed away, his voice dying and ending with a huge yawn.
He looked truly sleepy and tired that Shouri couldn't help but smile. Softening slightly, she took the trouble to baby him a bit. "Thanks for bringing me here. It was nice, overall."
"Hmm. You know what'll make it nicer?"
"You wearing that thong?"
"That's not quite what I had in mind."
"Kiyota, you don't have a mind. It's all skulls and bones in there," she tapped his head, chortled when he tried to grab her hands. "All right. What did you have in mind?"
"Nothing much." That turned out to be an understatement when he leaned forward with a lazy smile and pressed his lips to hers. One second, two seconds, three seconds… "Hmm. Not bad." He smirked. "We'll try snogging next time, hmm?"
She stared at him, mouth hanging open.
He pulled himself up wearily, accepting the task of accompanying her home before having to climb into his bedroom through his window with hopes that his parents won't find out. "You know what," he said conversationally, casually pulling her up to her feet. "I think I like you. A lot."
Unable to find a reply, she didn't say anything.
"And you know what else?"
Be casual. He's relaxed, so you should be relaxed. Speak, girl, speak. "What?"
"Hell just froze over."