Rina went along with the others as they walked along the park and talked
about random thoughts that crossed their minds. They sat on a bench that
was overlooking the half of the city hidden by a copse. Their wild chatter
and boisterous laughter - impossibly, including Rukawa - made it seem that
they own the place. They were lucky enough that most Japanese don't have
the mind to loiter in parks when they can work (I am making up the scene
but Japanese are like that).
"And you know what else makes him too gross for Rina?" Rika asked them and they all shook their heads, "He picks his nose!"
Another round of raucous laughter and a grossed-out groan erupted from them. Apparently, they were talking about the people they have met in such a length of time the Cansons were gone from Japan.
"So, Sendou," Rina said trying to keep herself from laughing out loud, "If it's not too much to ask, can you tell us about your ex?"
Sendou's laughter faded and Rukawa became intent on listening. The former looked at his best friend in askance as if asking permission to whether he could say it or not. She replied by shrugging meaning that it was his decision. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. I won't tell her name, though." They all nodded.
"OK, then," Rika grinned, "I'll tell them..." Sendou's mouth opened to protest but closed it immediately as she added, "Not! Got you there puffer fish!"
Sendou grimaced, "Why do you keep calling me puffer fish? You're the one who puff-up your cheeks when you're being stubborn." The others chortled when she did just that and a 'humph' to go along with it. "Anyway," he continued when the laughter died down, "about my ex, well, she's beautiful and smart."
"I think smart-ass is more like it, puffer fish." Rika interjected having met the girl thrice before she left for America as well as dismissing Sendou's remark about her being the puffer fish of the two of them.
Sendou opened his mouth for another protest but closed it instead. "Yeah, that's quite it, jigglypuff." Rukawa and Rina couldn't help but burst out laughing at the Ryonan boy's counter. "So, I thought she was all that and I was easily tricked by her flirting."
"Yeah, that's because you're a very naïve person." Rika teased again and patted his back as if feeling pity for him. The others giggled again and wondered which would finish first, the story or the exchange of taunts.
Sendou cleared his throat deliberately and cast Rika a challenging glance. "As I was saying, before a chattering chipmunk cut me off," that caused another commotion, "I was writing a letter to Rika that time and she caught me. She thought that I was two-timing her even though she knew very well that I wasn't."
"And the blind man didn't see the truth." Rika butt in again and stuck her tongue out at Sendou.
"Anybody could be deceived by her." Sendou quickly defended himself. "She was the two-timer of the both of us. And I also found out she was just using me so she could be popular."
"I told you for the first time I met her to ditch that b-" she quickly cut herself off, "that bee. But did you listen? No..."
"Oh, all right, you won, mule head." Sendou admitted in a prideful manner.
"So, Kaede," Rika evaded Sendou as he turned to the other, "Anything about your love life. If you have any, that is."
"Only rabid hunting girls," Rukawa stated placidly but it brought snickers from the others. "Well, Rika, how about you? You never told us anything yet."
"Me?" Rika asked and blinked twice. "Nothing to tell you anyway. That is, if you want to hear about street motorcycle racers who woo me to join their team."
"I think there is something..." Rina pointed at her chin innocently.
"There is?" Rika asked surprised. She didn't know that there was something. The boys, though, thought it as a joke and laughed. "No, really, is there?"
"You mean, you don't know?" her sister asked surprised.
"I don't believe you. Who pray tell?"
"Arnold Gotwell," Rina sneered, "If you want, I'll tell you about it."
"Arnold?" Sendou asked, "Your teammate in basketball and senior in America? The one you call a rich, arrogant snob?"
"That exact same guy, Sendou," Rina confirmed. "Well, would you want to know about that, Rika?"
"I guess it wouldn't hurt, would it?" Rika shrugged. "OK. Go on."
"Remember that he always asks - rather orders - you to get things for him?" Rika youngest of the group nodded, "Well, he does that so he won't be distracted. Every time he sees you, he can't concentrate on anything else, but you. At least, that's what he tells me. There were also those anonymous letters in your locker printed by a computer, right? It all came from him. Also, do you remember that there was going to be a formal party in honor of the team's victory in the National Games? Well, if dad didn't have you...there in that hell, he would've asked you to be his partner then." She looked at her sister for any reaction but only showed puzzlement. "Well, you know that he and I are close so he asks permission from me if he can court you. When some of my friends heard that, they all wanted to kill you."
"WHAT!!!" Rika suddenly blurted out. "What on earth did you tell him?"
"No." She said firmly. "I told him that I should have a boyfriend of my own first before you. I was very jealous of you, remember?"
"Thank goodness," Rika sighed in relief. "That's the end of that then?"
"Her sister grinned and put on an innocent smile. "Well, he told he'd visit you here one day or another. This month."
Rika's jaw just dropped. Both Rukawa and Sendou mentally snarled at the guy. It was hard enough to tell her that both of them like her, but an aggressive competitor, who seems to be very good looking from the reactions of Rina's friends, would take lots of guts for their part. With both of them just suspecting the other wants her too, it was a lighter matter. Silence hung in their midst for a time caused by the sudden news.
Sendou, getting irritated at the singing silence, broke it, "Hey, how about some Takoyaki? I'm hungry. It's just down there anyway." All of them agreed and started down the flight of stairs to where the vendor was. They got into laughing and chattering so much that they forgot to tend to their rumbling stomachs.
Rukawa bought 12 pieces; Sendou bought 13; Rina bought 8 and Rika bought 20. Rukawa couldn't believe how many she got and kept shaking his head. Sendou, Rika and Rina laughed at him for his innocence. For all his time with her, he did not know how much Rika ate. For drinks, they all bought from a vendo machine some cola. The most who did the talking that time were Sendou and Rika or rather, the bickering. They were like children fighting over who gets the bigger part of the cake.
Rina's cell phone suddenly rang and she just nodded and said how great something was but her face was grim. She turned to the lot and sighed heavily. "Bad news, girl, Arnold's arriving tomorrow; after classes, he's gonna visit at your school since he has a cousin there. He also knows you study there, too."
***
Sofia/3sh: I'm really sorry! I must've missed it because of strained eyes in working in the computer all day. I'll make you two letters then.
Sofia/3sh: Well, for your former note, thanks. I'm glad I can still write properly with all the load I'm having these past few days. Oh, and I'll be going to Japan on the 15th so I don't think I can write until the 21st. *sigh* Ces't la vie.
ninny: I hope it really did.
yasu: I hope you read more of it.
Doko made mo kakera no...furui sekai wa tateru
"And you know what else makes him too gross for Rina?" Rika asked them and they all shook their heads, "He picks his nose!"
Another round of raucous laughter and a grossed-out groan erupted from them. Apparently, they were talking about the people they have met in such a length of time the Cansons were gone from Japan.
"So, Sendou," Rina said trying to keep herself from laughing out loud, "If it's not too much to ask, can you tell us about your ex?"
Sendou's laughter faded and Rukawa became intent on listening. The former looked at his best friend in askance as if asking permission to whether he could say it or not. She replied by shrugging meaning that it was his decision. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. I won't tell her name, though." They all nodded.
"OK, then," Rika grinned, "I'll tell them..." Sendou's mouth opened to protest but closed it immediately as she added, "Not! Got you there puffer fish!"
Sendou grimaced, "Why do you keep calling me puffer fish? You're the one who puff-up your cheeks when you're being stubborn." The others chortled when she did just that and a 'humph' to go along with it. "Anyway," he continued when the laughter died down, "about my ex, well, she's beautiful and smart."
"I think smart-ass is more like it, puffer fish." Rika interjected having met the girl thrice before she left for America as well as dismissing Sendou's remark about her being the puffer fish of the two of them.
Sendou opened his mouth for another protest but closed it instead. "Yeah, that's quite it, jigglypuff." Rukawa and Rina couldn't help but burst out laughing at the Ryonan boy's counter. "So, I thought she was all that and I was easily tricked by her flirting."
"Yeah, that's because you're a very naïve person." Rika teased again and patted his back as if feeling pity for him. The others giggled again and wondered which would finish first, the story or the exchange of taunts.
Sendou cleared his throat deliberately and cast Rika a challenging glance. "As I was saying, before a chattering chipmunk cut me off," that caused another commotion, "I was writing a letter to Rika that time and she caught me. She thought that I was two-timing her even though she knew very well that I wasn't."
"And the blind man didn't see the truth." Rika butt in again and stuck her tongue out at Sendou.
"Anybody could be deceived by her." Sendou quickly defended himself. "She was the two-timer of the both of us. And I also found out she was just using me so she could be popular."
"I told you for the first time I met her to ditch that b-" she quickly cut herself off, "that bee. But did you listen? No..."
"Oh, all right, you won, mule head." Sendou admitted in a prideful manner.
"So, Kaede," Rika evaded Sendou as he turned to the other, "Anything about your love life. If you have any, that is."
"Only rabid hunting girls," Rukawa stated placidly but it brought snickers from the others. "Well, Rika, how about you? You never told us anything yet."
"Me?" Rika asked and blinked twice. "Nothing to tell you anyway. That is, if you want to hear about street motorcycle racers who woo me to join their team."
"I think there is something..." Rina pointed at her chin innocently.
"There is?" Rika asked surprised. She didn't know that there was something. The boys, though, thought it as a joke and laughed. "No, really, is there?"
"You mean, you don't know?" her sister asked surprised.
"I don't believe you. Who pray tell?"
"Arnold Gotwell," Rina sneered, "If you want, I'll tell you about it."
"Arnold?" Sendou asked, "Your teammate in basketball and senior in America? The one you call a rich, arrogant snob?"
"That exact same guy, Sendou," Rina confirmed. "Well, would you want to know about that, Rika?"
"I guess it wouldn't hurt, would it?" Rika shrugged. "OK. Go on."
"Remember that he always asks - rather orders - you to get things for him?" Rika youngest of the group nodded, "Well, he does that so he won't be distracted. Every time he sees you, he can't concentrate on anything else, but you. At least, that's what he tells me. There were also those anonymous letters in your locker printed by a computer, right? It all came from him. Also, do you remember that there was going to be a formal party in honor of the team's victory in the National Games? Well, if dad didn't have you...there in that hell, he would've asked you to be his partner then." She looked at her sister for any reaction but only showed puzzlement. "Well, you know that he and I are close so he asks permission from me if he can court you. When some of my friends heard that, they all wanted to kill you."
"WHAT!!!" Rika suddenly blurted out. "What on earth did you tell him?"
"No." She said firmly. "I told him that I should have a boyfriend of my own first before you. I was very jealous of you, remember?"
"Thank goodness," Rika sighed in relief. "That's the end of that then?"
"Her sister grinned and put on an innocent smile. "Well, he told he'd visit you here one day or another. This month."
Rika's jaw just dropped. Both Rukawa and Sendou mentally snarled at the guy. It was hard enough to tell her that both of them like her, but an aggressive competitor, who seems to be very good looking from the reactions of Rina's friends, would take lots of guts for their part. With both of them just suspecting the other wants her too, it was a lighter matter. Silence hung in their midst for a time caused by the sudden news.
Sendou, getting irritated at the singing silence, broke it, "Hey, how about some Takoyaki? I'm hungry. It's just down there anyway." All of them agreed and started down the flight of stairs to where the vendor was. They got into laughing and chattering so much that they forgot to tend to their rumbling stomachs.
Rukawa bought 12 pieces; Sendou bought 13; Rina bought 8 and Rika bought 20. Rukawa couldn't believe how many she got and kept shaking his head. Sendou, Rika and Rina laughed at him for his innocence. For all his time with her, he did not know how much Rika ate. For drinks, they all bought from a vendo machine some cola. The most who did the talking that time were Sendou and Rika or rather, the bickering. They were like children fighting over who gets the bigger part of the cake.
Rina's cell phone suddenly rang and she just nodded and said how great something was but her face was grim. She turned to the lot and sighed heavily. "Bad news, girl, Arnold's arriving tomorrow; after classes, he's gonna visit at your school since he has a cousin there. He also knows you study there, too."
***
Sofia/3sh: I'm really sorry! I must've missed it because of strained eyes in working in the computer all day. I'll make you two letters then.
Sofia/3sh: Well, for your former note, thanks. I'm glad I can still write properly with all the load I'm having these past few days. Oh, and I'll be going to Japan on the 15th so I don't think I can write until the 21st. *sigh* Ces't la vie.
ninny: I hope it really did.
yasu: I hope you read more of it.
Doko made mo kakera no...furui sekai wa tateru