Summer Vacation
By Sakura Misaki
@Day Two@
/Ken's POV/
I wake up at the feeling of someone's shaking me. Hard. I slowly open my eyes to see my two fellow teammates staring at me.
"Youji?! Omi?! What are you guys doing here?" I ask sleepily.
"Wake up, sleepy head!" Youji's left hand clutches my T-shirt while the other one begins slapping my face.
"Aaaaah! Youji, itai! Bakayaro!!"
"Are you awake, Ken-kun?"
"Can't you see that I am awake?!"
Grinning sheepishly, he says, "Gomen, Ken-kun. Youji-kun, stop that!" He holds Youji's hand right before it hits my face again. Thank God. I rub my stinging cheek.
"So ... what do you want?" I help myself to sit when I realize that I am now covered by a blanket. I didn't wear it last night. Who ...
"Ken-kun, are you listening to me?"
"Oops! Sorry ..."
Omi sighs. "So like I've said before, we both know that you like Aya- kun and ..."
"What?!"
"Don't interrupt him, Kenken. Just listen." Youji smacks my mouth shut.
Removing his hand from my mouth, I stutter, "How ... how'd you ..."
"Know? Aw, Ken-kun, that's so obvious!"
Bam! Omi's voice hits me. Am I that obvious? Does Aya know? Oh my God! Does he know?!
"H ... how obvious?"
"Well," Youji says, "you always stammer when you speak to him, stumble over anything and drop everything when you get to close to him, ten times clumsier than usual around him, and ..."
"Okay! I get it! Do you think ... he knows?" 'Cause if that so, it will mean my end.
"No, I don't think he knows it, Ken-kun."
"Yeah, 'cause he has no interest in people's emotion nor care about it."
"Youji-kun!!"
I know that Youji's right, that Aya won't appreciate my feelings. Still I have this stupid, undying hope that someday, somehow, he'll look at me in a different way. Other than just a coworker or a teammate or merely a friend. Maybe not. He has no interest in human's emotion, he has lost his long time ago.
"Ken-kun, it's okay. We'll help you. In fact we've helped you!"
"How?" I ask in confusion.
"Of course you don't think that this room arrangement thing is a coincidence, right?"
I blink at him. What does he mean? This room arrangement thing? What the heck?! "Omi!!"
"Yep! It's me and Youji-kun's work! I know you won't let this chance slip away."
I smile at his overly genki behaviour. "Thank's, Omi. But I don't think I can. What if Aya doesn't feel the same with me? You know what that means, right? It means I'm doomed!"
"Ken-kun, do you think I'll let you die useless like that? I won't let you sleep in the same room with him if I don't think that he has something for you."
"Thank's for comforting me but I am not that helpless to die in his hands, thank you very much."
"You can be such a dumb head, you know that, Hidaka?"
"Yeah, so what?"
"So we'll have to force you to do it." He jumps at me.
"Ah! Youji, let go off me! Help me!" Omi laughs. Hello! Didn't I say help me?!
"No one can help you now, Kenken."
"Aya! Help!!"
"He's not here either."
"Eh?"
Youji lets me go. "He's off to the town nearby. Doing some groceries."
"Groceries? Wait a minute! Didn't I put them in the car yesterday?"
"Yes, you did." Omi answers innocently.
I wait for him to say more but he keeps silence. "So? Where are they now?" Then I see him smile, a mischievous one. Youji begins snickering. Okay, that can't be good.
"I gave them to Momoe-san." He says that in a simple tone as if he hasn't been doing this to kill his best friend (ME!). Did I say innocent? He's anything but innocent!!
"Omi!! Aya is going to kill me!! I know I did put them in the car yesterday!! Now I have to deal with his wrath and it's all because of you!!"
"That's ... harsh, Ken-kun," he says in an almost teary eyes. Damn, I can't fall for it. I can't!!
"I'm sorry, Ken-kun. Are you angry at me? All I want is to make you and Aya-kun happy." No! Anything but those puppy dog eyes!! I hate it when he uses them!! I can't resist him every time he does that.
"It's okay, Omi. I'm not that angry."
"Good. Then we can work on the plan." He gets back his cheery tone. I feel utterly defeated and tricked. Omi can be such a trickster.
"P...plan? What plan? Don't you realize that Aya can come home at anytime and kill me?"
"He won't."
"How can you be so sure? He can 'shi-ne' everyone he wants, including me!" actually I mean especially me. I know he hates me from the beginning. What a nice first impression I had with him.
"He won't. We have hidden that damn katana of his. He won't find it."
"That's ... relieving..." I stop on my way under the bed.
Omi pats me on the back and give me the most shiny and cheery smile he has. "Ken-kun, whenever you need help, just ask."
He doesn't wait for my answer as he and Youji leave me alone in this room again. What a friend. Omi's words flow in my mind. Does he really have ... some kind of feeling towards me 'cause ...
***** /Aya's POV/
I grumble all the way here. Why does this always happen to me?! Can't I have my vacation?! Quietly?! I sigh. This morning I walked into the kitchen to find nothing to eat. I remembered buying some food before we went here, but where were they? The only answer is that we left them. And I have to go to the nearest town to buy the food again. Another unnecessary expenses. What a way to spend the morning.
Why did I ask Ken to take them? I was stupid, I know. Because of that I have to spend half an hour to go to the town, fifteen minutes to find the right store, two hours to find all the things we need, and another damn ten minutes lining up here, waiting for that stupid onna to find her purse in her toad-coloured bag. Damn her, damn her bag, damn her purse, damn me.
I settle my glare on that stupid bag of hers, which she stupidly sees and makes her trembles. Fortunately she finds her purse before I lose my self control and gives the money to the confused cashier. She makes her way out of the store immediately.
I manage to put the whole thing on the cashier's table. Ten bottle of canned beers (Youji's been whining about them), twelve loaves of bread (Omi has forced me to buy them), a number of Pockys, etc, etc. The things that make me feel ... weird. What do think four people eat for a week? Sandwiches? Youji and Omi know that I have to be the one to do this. I knew it when they asked me this morning. But it's not me to complain so I didn't. Besides, I can't let Youji drive my Porche, seeing how he drives his jeep. That gives me creeps.
"Sir? Are these all your ...?"
"Yes!!" I cut her in. She eyes me from head to toe. What does she want? I glare at her. "What?!"
"No ... nothing. They cost 20'000 yen."
"I give her the money. As I try walking out of the store with these grocery bags in my hands, she gives me another studying look. I hate it when people staring at me like that. I give her my best glare which causes her to eep and duck. Good for her.
I arrive at the cabin almost noon. "Tadaima."
"Okaeri, Aya-kun. Sugoi!! Food! I'm starving!" Omi runs towards me to help me put the bags on the kitchen table. I nod at him.
"Where's Ken ... and Youji?"
"Oh, Ken-kun is taking a bath. Youji-kun is taking a nap." Omi answer cheerfully. I don't know if he realizes my slight pause after mentioning Ken's name. But ... he wouldn't know.
"I'm going to change my clothes. You prepare the meal, Omi."
"Leave it to me!" is his answer before I make my way to our room. I hear the water running in the bathroom. He's still taking his bath. I open my bag and take out my black T-shirt. I take off my sweater and toss it beside my bed. At the same time I grab my T-shirt, Ken walks out of the bathroom. He's only wearing a towel around his waist, water dripping from his hair. I suddenly lose my ability to breathe ... to speak ... or to think. He is so hot! He, on the other hand, manages to squeak and rushes into the bathroom once more.
"I ... I'm sorry, Aya! I ... don't know you're ... uh ... changing ..." he says from behind the door.
"It's okay." I answer as I try to remove his image from my head. But that's only makes me want to think about him. To my useless attempt, I growl. I knock at the door, telling him to come downstairs after he's finished. He doesn't say anything. I take it as an okay, so I go to the kitchen myself.
"The meal is ready. I'm going to call Ken-kun"
"I've told him to come down after he gets dressed. Call that Kudou."
He nods after giving me a bright smile. I know it's Omi to smile that wide but ... I get a bad feeling seeing it. My intuitions have never failed me before. Maybe my doubt is reflected by my expression 'cause he gives me concerned look. I shake my head and sit on the couch while he goes to call Youji.
Does he know? I don't think so. But sometimes I feel that Omi tries to get me near Ken in the shop ... or in the mission. He is a strategist after all and this kind of thing is his specialty. Still, it doesn't mean that he knows I'm ... in love with Ken. No, it can't be. But I'd better watch my step. If he wants me to take Ken, then I will.
******* TBC *******
By Sakura Misaki
@Day Two@
/Ken's POV/
I wake up at the feeling of someone's shaking me. Hard. I slowly open my eyes to see my two fellow teammates staring at me.
"Youji?! Omi?! What are you guys doing here?" I ask sleepily.
"Wake up, sleepy head!" Youji's left hand clutches my T-shirt while the other one begins slapping my face.
"Aaaaah! Youji, itai! Bakayaro!!"
"Are you awake, Ken-kun?"
"Can't you see that I am awake?!"
Grinning sheepishly, he says, "Gomen, Ken-kun. Youji-kun, stop that!" He holds Youji's hand right before it hits my face again. Thank God. I rub my stinging cheek.
"So ... what do you want?" I help myself to sit when I realize that I am now covered by a blanket. I didn't wear it last night. Who ...
"Ken-kun, are you listening to me?"
"Oops! Sorry ..."
Omi sighs. "So like I've said before, we both know that you like Aya- kun and ..."
"What?!"
"Don't interrupt him, Kenken. Just listen." Youji smacks my mouth shut.
Removing his hand from my mouth, I stutter, "How ... how'd you ..."
"Know? Aw, Ken-kun, that's so obvious!"
Bam! Omi's voice hits me. Am I that obvious? Does Aya know? Oh my God! Does he know?!
"H ... how obvious?"
"Well," Youji says, "you always stammer when you speak to him, stumble over anything and drop everything when you get to close to him, ten times clumsier than usual around him, and ..."
"Okay! I get it! Do you think ... he knows?" 'Cause if that so, it will mean my end.
"No, I don't think he knows it, Ken-kun."
"Yeah, 'cause he has no interest in people's emotion nor care about it."
"Youji-kun!!"
I know that Youji's right, that Aya won't appreciate my feelings. Still I have this stupid, undying hope that someday, somehow, he'll look at me in a different way. Other than just a coworker or a teammate or merely a friend. Maybe not. He has no interest in human's emotion, he has lost his long time ago.
"Ken-kun, it's okay. We'll help you. In fact we've helped you!"
"How?" I ask in confusion.
"Of course you don't think that this room arrangement thing is a coincidence, right?"
I blink at him. What does he mean? This room arrangement thing? What the heck?! "Omi!!"
"Yep! It's me and Youji-kun's work! I know you won't let this chance slip away."
I smile at his overly genki behaviour. "Thank's, Omi. But I don't think I can. What if Aya doesn't feel the same with me? You know what that means, right? It means I'm doomed!"
"Ken-kun, do you think I'll let you die useless like that? I won't let you sleep in the same room with him if I don't think that he has something for you."
"Thank's for comforting me but I am not that helpless to die in his hands, thank you very much."
"You can be such a dumb head, you know that, Hidaka?"
"Yeah, so what?"
"So we'll have to force you to do it." He jumps at me.
"Ah! Youji, let go off me! Help me!" Omi laughs. Hello! Didn't I say help me?!
"No one can help you now, Kenken."
"Aya! Help!!"
"He's not here either."
"Eh?"
Youji lets me go. "He's off to the town nearby. Doing some groceries."
"Groceries? Wait a minute! Didn't I put them in the car yesterday?"
"Yes, you did." Omi answers innocently.
I wait for him to say more but he keeps silence. "So? Where are they now?" Then I see him smile, a mischievous one. Youji begins snickering. Okay, that can't be good.
"I gave them to Momoe-san." He says that in a simple tone as if he hasn't been doing this to kill his best friend (ME!). Did I say innocent? He's anything but innocent!!
"Omi!! Aya is going to kill me!! I know I did put them in the car yesterday!! Now I have to deal with his wrath and it's all because of you!!"
"That's ... harsh, Ken-kun," he says in an almost teary eyes. Damn, I can't fall for it. I can't!!
"I'm sorry, Ken-kun. Are you angry at me? All I want is to make you and Aya-kun happy." No! Anything but those puppy dog eyes!! I hate it when he uses them!! I can't resist him every time he does that.
"It's okay, Omi. I'm not that angry."
"Good. Then we can work on the plan." He gets back his cheery tone. I feel utterly defeated and tricked. Omi can be such a trickster.
"P...plan? What plan? Don't you realize that Aya can come home at anytime and kill me?"
"He won't."
"How can you be so sure? He can 'shi-ne' everyone he wants, including me!" actually I mean especially me. I know he hates me from the beginning. What a nice first impression I had with him.
"He won't. We have hidden that damn katana of his. He won't find it."
"That's ... relieving..." I stop on my way under the bed.
Omi pats me on the back and give me the most shiny and cheery smile he has. "Ken-kun, whenever you need help, just ask."
He doesn't wait for my answer as he and Youji leave me alone in this room again. What a friend. Omi's words flow in my mind. Does he really have ... some kind of feeling towards me 'cause ...
***** /Aya's POV/
I grumble all the way here. Why does this always happen to me?! Can't I have my vacation?! Quietly?! I sigh. This morning I walked into the kitchen to find nothing to eat. I remembered buying some food before we went here, but where were they? The only answer is that we left them. And I have to go to the nearest town to buy the food again. Another unnecessary expenses. What a way to spend the morning.
Why did I ask Ken to take them? I was stupid, I know. Because of that I have to spend half an hour to go to the town, fifteen minutes to find the right store, two hours to find all the things we need, and another damn ten minutes lining up here, waiting for that stupid onna to find her purse in her toad-coloured bag. Damn her, damn her bag, damn her purse, damn me.
I settle my glare on that stupid bag of hers, which she stupidly sees and makes her trembles. Fortunately she finds her purse before I lose my self control and gives the money to the confused cashier. She makes her way out of the store immediately.
I manage to put the whole thing on the cashier's table. Ten bottle of canned beers (Youji's been whining about them), twelve loaves of bread (Omi has forced me to buy them), a number of Pockys, etc, etc. The things that make me feel ... weird. What do think four people eat for a week? Sandwiches? Youji and Omi know that I have to be the one to do this. I knew it when they asked me this morning. But it's not me to complain so I didn't. Besides, I can't let Youji drive my Porche, seeing how he drives his jeep. That gives me creeps.
"Sir? Are these all your ...?"
"Yes!!" I cut her in. She eyes me from head to toe. What does she want? I glare at her. "What?!"
"No ... nothing. They cost 20'000 yen."
"I give her the money. As I try walking out of the store with these grocery bags in my hands, she gives me another studying look. I hate it when people staring at me like that. I give her my best glare which causes her to eep and duck. Good for her.
I arrive at the cabin almost noon. "Tadaima."
"Okaeri, Aya-kun. Sugoi!! Food! I'm starving!" Omi runs towards me to help me put the bags on the kitchen table. I nod at him.
"Where's Ken ... and Youji?"
"Oh, Ken-kun is taking a bath. Youji-kun is taking a nap." Omi answer cheerfully. I don't know if he realizes my slight pause after mentioning Ken's name. But ... he wouldn't know.
"I'm going to change my clothes. You prepare the meal, Omi."
"Leave it to me!" is his answer before I make my way to our room. I hear the water running in the bathroom. He's still taking his bath. I open my bag and take out my black T-shirt. I take off my sweater and toss it beside my bed. At the same time I grab my T-shirt, Ken walks out of the bathroom. He's only wearing a towel around his waist, water dripping from his hair. I suddenly lose my ability to breathe ... to speak ... or to think. He is so hot! He, on the other hand, manages to squeak and rushes into the bathroom once more.
"I ... I'm sorry, Aya! I ... don't know you're ... uh ... changing ..." he says from behind the door.
"It's okay." I answer as I try to remove his image from my head. But that's only makes me want to think about him. To my useless attempt, I growl. I knock at the door, telling him to come downstairs after he's finished. He doesn't say anything. I take it as an okay, so I go to the kitchen myself.
"The meal is ready. I'm going to call Ken-kun"
"I've told him to come down after he gets dressed. Call that Kudou."
He nods after giving me a bright smile. I know it's Omi to smile that wide but ... I get a bad feeling seeing it. My intuitions have never failed me before. Maybe my doubt is reflected by my expression 'cause he gives me concerned look. I shake my head and sit on the couch while he goes to call Youji.
Does he know? I don't think so. But sometimes I feel that Omi tries to get me near Ken in the shop ... or in the mission. He is a strategist after all and this kind of thing is his specialty. Still, it doesn't mean that he knows I'm ... in love with Ken. No, it can't be. But I'd better watch my step. If he wants me to take Ken, then I will.
******* TBC *******