Bluecherry: haha I'll try =) thanks for your review!!!
Sol: heh thanks!! Sorry about the cliffhanger =p hope you weren't too irritated or dismayed... I'll try and make it longer!
Kammylee: yeah I love rukawa kun too! Hmm but maybe I should try attempting a fic on other characters. Like Fujima or sth. =p thanks for your review! U guys really make my day! –beams-
Yun Fei: hmm...-scratch head- now I'll have to think up of a reason!
Snowfox11: Thanks! Hope you'll continue to read and review! =D
Ray: heh good that you like it! =D that makes me happy too! . well physics wasn't any much better today. What subs do you take?
Chapt 5: Avoid?
"Let me down! NOW!" Riko was screaming hysterically, while pounding on Rukawa's back, using every method known to mankind to try and get herself down from his back, and away from his arms. She was greatly insulted by the fact that he had belittled her so much until he was obliged to carry her.
Not like you mind. You seem to enjoy looking at his back profile a lot, a little voice somewhere deep in her brain said pointedly.
Shut up!
Sure, she could not deny that he was good-looking, and she did enjoy looking at his muscular back a lot, but –
This is all from an artistic point of view all right! She retorted back defensively to that little voice in her head, trying to convince it (and herself) that she was just admiring the muscles just like how an artist would admire the creases on a vase.
And she did not believe herself. Not one word of it.
Snapping out of her reverie, she continued pounding on his back and screaming, trying to get him to release her. Never in her life had she suffered such humiliation! Treating her like she was some doll who had no legs, and just—
"Do'ahou," a voice retorted from the front.
—just throwing her over his back without asking if she minded! And calling her "do'ahou" like she was some stupid person who did not understand any other words beside that! REALLY!
She was mortified and angry at how little he made of her. Not to mention that he was ignoring her attempts to get down besides his "doahou", she thought with a sniff.
Rukawa was indeed trying to ignore her attempts to get down. The screams were easy enough. He just had to shut down his hearing mechanisms. He was used to that already, having done it every day in class when Kurozawa sensei was talking, and in the gym when that baka Sakuragi was screaming.
But the poundings were different. Each blow caused him much pain. And not like his back had recovered fully from the last basketball tournament when he had fell after one of his opponents fouled him.
This is all for a good cause, he reminded himself for the 300th time. Disbelievingly.
Frankly speaking, he did not understand what good cause he was doing this for. The girl did not seem to be appreciating his effort. He was, he concluded, a little demented. Besides being demented, what else could explain his actions for the past two hours?
He was confused. And he did not like it. Not at all. He hated dealing with his emotions and never had much experience dealing with it. After all, he never felt much emotions.
Until SHE appeared, a small voice reminded him.
Closing his eyes, he tried to sort out his feelings and thoughts. He did not know what possessed him to ask that girl to the gym. He liked being by himself and had never liked company. 'Never' was a mild word for what he felt. It was more like he DETESTED company. And people.
Well then, she must be different from others, that annoying voice sounded again.
No! It's just...it's just... Well, it was for a good cause... He finished lamely, using the only reason he could think up. And had been using for the past two hours.
Well, it really was! He had seen her standing by the locker, surrounded by a group of girls who looked like they wanted to eat her up. And she was looking so weak and frail-looking that something inside him just snapped and he asked her.
And then there was the bandaging thing at the gym. He only knew he felt a little anxious when she fell. And his anxiousness was all he remembered. He did not remember getting the first-aid kit and did not even realise he was helping her bandage her ankle until he felt that tingle when he touched it.
And now this. He really did not understand. Somehow, he did not mind her company as much as he minded others. And even her screams did not sound as irritating as that of Sakuragi. It sounded kind of....melodious.
Melodious??!
He really must be going out of his mind, he decided. The glass windows of the house he was passing by, he suspected, seemed to have started developing cracks.
Melodious, he scoffed.
But there was really something different about this girl, he reasoned, besides her melodious voice, to make him feel this way. To be willing to invite her to the gym, to be willing to bandage her ankle, to take her home and—
Wait. Home. He did not know where her home was yet.
Honestly, was he becoming so demented until he was planning to carry her to Tibet???
Settling her down on the ground, he turned around to face her, asking gruffly, "Where's your house?"
The screams had stopped, he noted with a certain satisfaction. Even his well-trained eardrums were starting to feel a little strain by now and he was thankful for the silence.
"It's okay. I can go back by myself. It's only a short distance more. And I can stand properly now." She was shifting from feet to feet, eyes looking at the ground. He could sense her discomfort and did not pursue the matter.
"Yeah. So thanks." Limping slowly, she made her way down the road. Rukawa watched her till she turned the corner. In fact, he was a little thankful that she left. He was starting to feel a little afraid of his actions and his emotions. This was NOT like him at all.
Shaking his head, he turned and walked off in the other direction, towards his house.
Maybe it was only a dream...
.
Riko had woken up the next day to find out that it was indeed not a dream. For one, her ankle was still bandaged, and it was throbbing like mad. Going to visit the doctor was definitely out, she decided, what with the fact that she did not even have money to buy food.
Money...
The word hit her with a sinking realization. She had not gone to find her job yet. She was planning to go yesterday after Rukawa's training, but what with her sprained ankle and her humiliation at being carried at him, she had forgotten!
Oh... how could she have forgotten? Berating herself, she decided that she just had to skip school today to get a job.
.
Rukawa looked at the empty seat next to him. He wondered why she was not here today. Perhaps her ankle had not healed yet.
But then again, why should he care? After waking up in the morning and realizing that it was not a dream, he had decided that his actions were all a moment of madness and should not be taken into account. The best way, he decided, of solving the problem, was to keep as far away from her as possible. He was not going to be like those old woman he saw at the marketplace trying to help the fisherman sell his fish. No, he was going to keep to his own business and not be nosy.
He saw no flaws in that plan. Not that he would do stupid things the next time he saw her (since his actions was all due to a moment of madness and he did not believe he could be mad a second time), but better to be safe than sorry, right? If he avoided her, and did not see her at all, there was no way that he would fell prey to the same madness.
So it was good that she was not here today. Putting his head against the table, he fell into a deep slumber that he so needed. He had miss out a large portion of his sleep last night just to think up of his plan.
Silently congratulating himself on his wonderful plan, he slipped off into slumber, ignoring what Kurozawa sensei was saying again.
Author's note: I'm so sorry that the chapter is so short again this time! I tried to write it longer but as you can see, I failed miserably. –buries her head in shame- I had a writer's block. But at least it wasn't a cliffhanger this time, right? And don't worry, I'll try to make it up to you next time!
But frankly speaking, I seriously have no idea which direction this story is heading towards. It's just giving me this feeling that it's a very cliché story and I'm starting to think it's lousy. =( Not to say that Rukawa's getting OOC. Ahhhhh!!! Comments anyone? Ideas would be most welcome!
Please review =D And I'm really sorry again that it's short!