Caught by Cupid's Arrow

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applied...

Chapter Two: How to get a girl in Five Days (Part III)

The sun has already set. Gold, Red, and orange colors are already spreading across the surreal sky. The winds blow steadily while three dark shadows can be seen lurking around an abandoned warehouse.

Steam covered the place. Sounds of small explosion can be heard. But above all, only the sound of what seems to be suspiciously as the howling of a wolf covered the place giving it an eerie atmosphere....

"Mwahahahahaha!!!!!" Well...uhm...not for long...

*slurp* *slurp* "Are you done yet?"

"Why, but of course! Now this time both of you will not fail! Tomorrow! Tomorrow all your dreams will come true for I, the most powerful scientist in the world, have come to help you!!! Mwaaaahhh!"

Harold just stared and sighed. "Why do I get myself into these messes...."

Mission Five: the love potion (Saturday)

Initial Notes: Getting desperate? Call 555-desperate for a free love potion...now how to make her drink it...

"Sakuragi-kun!" Haruko waved to her friend who was currently running around at neck-breaking speed.

Hearing her voice, Hanamichi suddenly stopped and waved back blushing. "Ha-Haruko-chan!" he sighed dreamily. At this, he waited Haruko for her to catch-up smiling.

"Good morning, Sakuragi-kun! Glad I saw you. Are you going to the gym too? " she said cheerfully. "Because I'm going there too to wait for my friends."

" Yup, Haruko-chan!" nodded Hanamichi happily glad that he saw his crush on his way to the gym. "..I'll accompany you then" he added enthusiastically and shrugged. "I'm already late anyway... I just hope I won't receive as many Gori punches today...then again he has been acting nice in a weird way...Maybe he virus or he already recognize the tensai in me! Nyahahaha!"

Hanamichi performed his trademark laugh once more making others cringed at the intensity but stopped when he saw Haruko frowning. Seeing this, Hanamichi panicked. "uhm...ano...Haruko-chan..are you alright?" he asked. "What ever it is...I did not mean to.."

"Iie." Haruko shook her head and took a faraway look. "It's not you Sakuragi-kun. It's that you're right you know."

"Eh?"

"I mean.." she started and started walking towards the gym. "My brother, has been acting rather strangely. He can't even look at me anymore these past few days straight in the eye. It's like he feels guilty or something or maybe even mad. (now why can that be?) I just hope that he's not angry at me or something. I'm very worried you know.."

Hanamichi turned to look at the girl beside him with concern. 'She's really worried..' he thought worriedly. Just seeing her like this makes his heart ache. She is the love of his life after all. The only girl who became his friend and also right after his 50th rejection...He feels his heart slowly contracting painfully again as he slowly remembers it all...

~I'm being turned down again. Time and again being turned down. I'm being turned down! By 50 girls.~

The song! It makes him remember all of those times..when *sniff* he got *sniff* rejected. *sob* and now she's *sob* the only girl who made me smile once more is now *sob* sad! waaahhhhh!!!!

"Sakuragi-kun? Sakuragi-kun, Are you alright?" Haruko asked once she saw her friend suddenly sobbing.

"Eh?" Hanamichi glanced up to Haruko and remembering where they were blushed. "hehehe."

Haruko just looked at him with a hint of concern. "Are you-"

"Don't worry about it, Haruko-chan!" he interrupted waving his hand carelessly as if to emphasize his point.

"I'm alright and beside it's about you were supposed to talking about, ne? ...anyway, you don't have to worry about it either. Gori is always weird! Besides, he loves you so much to get angry with you! No one can get angry with a very sweet girl like you! (*shudder*) Nyahahahaha!!!!"

Everyone cringed again at his laughter and decided to give the two more space. Haruko just stared at her friend and smiled.

"Oh well, Haruko-chan. Don't worry about anything anymore, ne?" when Haruko nodded smiling, he added. "Okay ja ne! I'll better go in now!" and with that Hanamichi entered the gym doors waving his hand and leaving a girl staring at his retreating figure.

'Thank you, Sakuragi-kun..You're really such a good friend you know that..' she mused. 'Such a very good friend..' (*sniff* *sniff* If you only knew..okay this is supposed to be a humor ne? so back to it!)

"Haruko-chan!" a feminine voice called minutes later snapping Haruko out of her thoughts. She turned and saw her friends running towards her.. "The foods and drinks for the basketball club are here already!"

# #

"Did you do it then?" Harold asked his companion peering from the bushes.

A man wearing a lab coat and glasses nodded and grinned. "Why, of course! I already put the love potion in it!" he said puffing out his chest in emphasis.

"I still don't get it though why you only wanted me to make a mild potion to make that girl notice the redhead. I could easily make something much stronger, you know, making her not only notice but immediately fall in love with that boy." he finished shooking his head.

*slurp* *slurp*

Harold sighed and nodded ignoring the slurping sounds of his master on his right side. "I know. But it wouldn't be true love. I just asked you to make that kind of potion so that she will give him her complete attention for a while designed especially towards the boy and then after that, she'll easily see why Hanamichi is the right guy for her!"

"Yeah right! We just aren't allowed to make that kind of potion you fool!" Cupid snapped from the sidelines glaring at his companion in annoyance. "Besides, it still isn't the same if that's how you gonna make that girl fall in love! Now, be quiet and let's watch!"

Harold sweat dropped and sighed. "uhm..yeah..and that also......"

# #

Left. Right. Down-left. Down-Right. Shoot.

Rukawa easily executed a perfect jump shot making the crowd grow wild just as Hanamichi entered the basketball gym smiling. Rukawa, however, just ignored all this.

"Rukawa! Rukawa! L-O-V-E! Rukawa!"

Hanamichi immediately steamed as he heard the shinetai screamed once more. 'Just my luck for Rukawa to ruin my day! Why does he have so many admirers anyway when he doesn't even acknowledge them! ' he thought walking angrily towards the ace player who just continued practicing.

"Oi! Fox! Stop showing off already will you?!" he yelled.

Rukawa just ignored him and continued playing. Everyone immediately backed away.

"Why you-?! You can't ignore the tensai like that-?!"

"Maa. Maa..Sakuragi. Please don't fight." pleaded Kogure approaching the two together with Mitsui. "Akagi would be mad if he sees you two fighting once he gets back and not practicing."

Mitsui just smirked and crossed his arms. "Min-kun, don't worry about that idiot. He deserves a punch or two anyway. He's just jealous. He doesn't have a fan like everybody else"

Hanamichi immediately glared at Mitsui "Why-?! You-?!"

*whack* *whack*

Hanamichi and Mitsui immediately cringed as they felt the ever-loyal paper fan land on their heads.

'oOOooohhh...That got to hurt...'

" Hey! What was that for-?!" he protested and turned towards her, annoyed. Mitsui just hmmphed and faced the other way.

Ayako opened her mouth to speak but suddenly stopped.

'Why did I just did that? He has a crush-no love for me for god's sake and I...and I..we!' she thought and started blushing as she saw Hanamichi and the others staring at her curiously when she didn't answer. 'Oh crap! Why didn't you answer you baka!'

Silence.

"Oi! Ayako! Are you sick or something? Your face is all red." Hanamichi asked breaking the silence.

"..uhm.." Ayako just fidgeted.

Kogure walked to her concerned. "Are you alright, Ayako?" he asked placing a hand on her shoulder.

Ayako just fidgeted once more. 'Well, I'm not about to tell them I was thinking about a lo-love, now will I?' she thought nervously.

Mitsui just raised an eyebrow at this while Rukawa momentarily stopped his practice turning towards the commotion.

"Maybe she is sick." Hanamichi suggested feeling her forehead.

Ayako immediately fainted in Kogure's hands.

"Ayako!"

"Eh? Why did she suddenly faint like that?"

"Doaho."

"Teme! Kitsune-?!" Hanamichi glared at Rukawa causing electric sparks. Everyone backed away again and tensed.

"What the hell's happening here!" Akagi shouted angrily stomping towards the small group in the middle of the court.

"Aya-chan!" Miyagi called behind Akagi and quickly went over to where Ayako was.

"Now. Now. Akagi. It isn't-" Kogure started but Mitsui cut him off.

"Sakuragi made her faint."

"It was not!" Hanamichi protested turning his glare on the 3-pointer.

Miyagi just narrowed his eyes on him. " Now what did you do to Aya-chan!" he snapped pointing accusingly at him.

"I said it's not me!"

"Doaho."

"Teme-Kitsune?!"

"..uhm..guys..please don't fight!"

"Don't worry about the idiot, Min-kun."

"Why-you?!"

"What did you do to my Aya-chan!"

"All of you! Urusai!" Akagi bellowed once more silencing the quartet. The other players sweated. Akagi glared. The four glared back. Kogure sweat dropped.

# #

"Who do you think will win?" *crunch* *crunch*

"I thinks its the gorilla guy." *munch* *munch*

Harold just sweat dropped trying to remember where he got the idea of choosing a madman to help them.

'Oh yeah,' he remembered he offered voluntarily saying something like he doesn't have anything to do anymore with a bunch of girls wearing sailor suits...as they have other villains now...' (sorry can't resist)

"And where the hell is the potion?!" Cupid shouted irritated.

A/N: Okay next part up. Look for my review replies there.