Title: Stalker
Author: Wowie
Status: 9/12
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Humor/Mystery
Archive: Ask permission first.
Previously: Kogure had a little talk with Youhei.
Warnings: Shounen-ai (Boy X Boy Love) and some mild swearing.
Author's Note:
Hehehe, we're near the end of the story.
Standard
Disclaimers Apply
Strike 09: Reliable
Source
"Did you see their shocked faces, Youhei? Ha!
That's what they get for not thinking how great the genius is!
Nyahahahahaha!" Hanamichi boasted while walking side by side with
Youhei. It was a good thing that the redhead was somehow back to his
normal self again, though he had a feeling that something was
bothering his friend.
"You did deserve the merit because you
really worked hard for it," Youhei commented.
"Oh well,
it's not really that hard for the genius," Hanamichi said
matter-of-factly. They have been walking for a few good distances now
when he suddenly noticed that something was missing. That was when he
remembered his gundan. Usually they all go together, but it was
strange that they were not with them now. "Hey... where are the
others?"
"Hn? Oh! You mean Ookusu and the others? They
said their going to the Pachinko parlor," Youhei replied
nonchalantly.
"Erm... then why aren't we going
there?"
Youhei did not answer and acted as if he was looking
around the place for something. Knowing Hanamichi, he would not let
the subject drop easily. "Something's up right? Come on! Tell
me!"
"Look, here we are!" Youhei announced as they
stopped in front of a fast food restaurant with the billboard
Yoshinoya on the entrance. "Come on, let's go inside."
Hanamichi
frowned as he followed Youhei inside. The redhead was surprised to
see Hikoichi sitting near the comfort room, waving at them.
"Oi!
Sakuragi-san! Mito-san! Over here!"
"What is Hikoichi
doing here?" Hanamichi asked his best friend as they approached the
table where Hikoichi was sitting.
"Don't worry Hanamichi.
He's here to help us," Youhei replied.
"Help us in
what?"
"You'll see."
.....
"Hehehe!
This is great! I could stay here all night long!" Takamiya said
while preparing his attack at Ookusu who was also thinking of a good
tactic.
"Me too! Thanks to Missy here, we wouldn't be able
to pass that nosy security guard," Noma added. The two were playing
pinball against each other and Noma was the lookout if ever the
pachinko parlor officials get suspicious with their real age. Though
they knew Mitsui, who was currently having a part time job there,
will back them up since he was the one who allowed them to go inside
anyway.
"How many times do I have to tell you all not to
call me Missy?" Mitsui said irritatingly. If he didn't owe them
his life in a brawl he had against Tetsuo's old gang, he would not
be doing this favor for them.
"Oh don't be angry Missy.
It's just that Hanamichi always call you that so we got the habit
of calling you that too."
"Hmm... speaking of that fool...
where is he? And Mito. Aren't they going here too?" Mitsui asked
curiously. He knew that Sakuragi and his gundan liked to go in
pachinko parlors but he was surprised when only the three of them
arrived.
"Oh, they'll just catch up later." Ookusu
shrugged his shoulders, and then his ball hit the jackpot. "Haha!
Look at that! I beat you Takamiya! Now you'll have to treat me
lunch for a whole week!"
"Oi! No fair! I said lunch for
tomorrow only!"
.....
"So what are you
exactly going to show me here that will prove your reliability?"
Youhei asked Hikoichi who was currently watching every people who
enter the restaurant.
Hanamichi went to the washroom so
only the two of them were left in the table. After a while,
Hikoichi's face suddenly brightened as soon as a certain Kainan
player entered the door.
"Look who's here," Hikoichi
told Youhei with a mysterious smile on his face.
Youhei
frowned at this, but turned to look just the same and saw that it was
none other than Maki Shinichi, captain of Kainan University High
School basketball club. It was as if he was looking for someone and
when he did not find what he was looking for. He sighed and sat on a
table near the entrance. With this, Youhei looked back at Hikoichi
who grinned at him in return.
"What is Maki doing
here?"
"Oh, he goes here most of the time. I'm not
really sure if he's coming today but even if he didn't come, I
still have another one to show you," Hikoichi replied, the grin
still on his face.
"Wait... he comes here most of the time?
Why?"
"Well... he's seeing someone here. They always
meet at six in the evening."
.....
Hanamichi
was standing in front of the washroom door for almost ten minutes now
yet the one who's using it was still inside. 'Kuso. How long
would it take for this fool to finish what he was doing inside?'
He
heard some sounds coming from inside, like there were more than one
person there. But it was impossible because the washroom was designed
for only one user at a time. Hanamichi knocked on the door
repeatedly.
"Oi! Are you still alive in there? You're
taking so long and I really need to use the washroom now!"
Hanamichi shouted impatiently. The weird sound stopped at once.
Hanamichi was about to knock again when the door suddenly opened to
reveal Fujima Kenji and Hanagata Toru from Shoyo High who both looked
rather disoriented. Their hair disheveled.
"Why are you both
inside? Isn't this a one-person washroom?" Hanamichi asked
frowning.
"Oh hello, Sakuragi! Fancy seeing you here,"
Fujima greeted weakly. "Well I was the one using the washroom when...
when..." he looked at Hanagata helplessly.
"When he
couldn't flush the toilet, he called me to fix it. It was rather
hard that's why it took us long to come out," Hanagata supplied.
Fujima glared at him for the lame excuse and his only response was an
apologetic look.
"Ah... okay... I didn't know that glasses
boy can fix water closets," Hanamichi said, which made Fujima and
Hanagata's jaw drop in disbelief. They did not think the redhead
was that naïve to fall on that useless alibi.
"So it's
okay for me to use it now?" Hanamichi asked and the two nodded in
unison. As soon as the redhead closed the door, the two looked at
each other. Slowly, a grin broke on both of their faces.
"You're
such a genius, Toru-kun."
"Nope. Don't forget, Sakuragi
is the genius," Hanagata replied, his eyes danced in
merriment.
"Oh yeah," Fujima chuckled. "He really
is!"
.....
"Wow, I didn't know that your
research is this extensive!" Youhei exclaimed after hearing
Hikoichi's explanation.
"Ehehehe... actually, I discovered
this information accidentally. It's just that I like eating here in
Yoshinoya and since I always see them here, I realized the pattern.
Oh look! Here comes the one Maki-san is waiting for!"
Youhei
turned to the entrance and there he saw Kiyota entering the store. As
soon as he was inside, Maki stood up with his face very stern.
"I
guess you prepared something to explain why you're late...
again."
"Sorry, Maki-sama. I didn't mean to be late.
It's just that I always get lost whenever we meet here," Kiyota
bowed in apology. Then he felt Maki's hand tilted his chin up and
his heart melted when he saw him smiling down at him.
"It's
okay, Nobu. I understand."
"Maki-sama..."
"Shinichi!"
Upon
hearing this, Maki released Kiyota and turned to see Fujima standing
just a few meters away from them with Hanagata standing beside
him.
"Kenji, what are you doing here?" Maki asked
calmly.
"And what are you doing here with that... that...
freshman?" Fujima returned the question.
"We're going to
eat here, is that wrong? And you, what are you doing here with
Hanagata?"
Fujima laughed incredulously. "You know most of
the time I'm with my best friend. What's wrong with that?"
Maki
shrugged. "Nothing really. It's just the fact that you're
spending most of your time with him instead of me..."
"Well
that's because you always spend your time with your freshman! Come
on Toru-kun, I suddenly lost my appetite." With this, Fujima walked
out of the restaurant with Hanagata.
"Maki-sama?"
"Let's
go some place else Nobu."
Before Kiyota could reply, Maki
turned to walk out. Sighing, he followed his beloved.
"Wow...
that was some scene..." Youhei commented dryly. "I didn't know
that there's more to it than I can ever imagine."
"Of
course! Now do you trust me to get the information you need would be
correct?"
Youhei smiled. "Actually, Hikoichi, you don't
have to gather information anymore. That's what I went to tell you
here."
"What? Why is that?" The boy's eyes
widened.
"It's because I know who the stalker is. I just
need a plan to trap him."
.....
Hikoichi's
walk back home was a very quiet one. When Youhei told him who was the
stalker, he couldn't believe his ears.
"How can he be sure
it's him?" he muttered.
"Sure of what?"
"Ah!"
Hikoichi jumped in surprise and would have fallen to the ground if
the person who spoke weren't able to catch him. When he looked up
he saw Sendoh frowning at him. "Sendoh-sempai! What are you doing
here?"
Sendoh released Hikoichi and the boy immediately
fixed himself.
"I was walking home when I saw you. It looks
like you're not in your usual self so I decided to approach you.
That's when I heard you muttering. What's this sure of him
business of yours?"
Hikoichi pursed his lips, trying to
decide if he should tell their new captain about Hanamichi's
stalker. And since he knew who the real stalker is, he decided to
tell his captain all the incidents that happened. After all, Sendoh
could not do any harm about it. He started from the very beginning
and gave him all the details that he got from Mito, except for the
suspect.
Sendoh's mind worked overtime while he listened to
Hikoichi. As soon as the boy finished his story, Sendoh turned to
walk away.
"Wait! Sendoh-sempai! Where are you going?"
Hikoichi called out.
Sendoh stopped then looked at Hikoichi
with determination. "There's only one person I know who could do
this, and I'm going to Hanamichi's house to tell him."
"But
Sendoh-sempai! You don't know where Sakuragi-san live!"
"Of
course I know. You showed me your notes remember?" After saying
this, Sendoh went on his way.
"Eh?! You don't understand!
Sendoh-sempai!" Hikoichi panicked. "Aw, Mito-san would kill me.
He told me Sakuragi-san mustn't know about this yet." He tried to
decide where he would go; to follow Sendoh or to go to the Pachinko
parlor where Mito said he was going?
"Wait... Isn't
Sakuragi-san with Mito-san?" the boy suddenly realized. "Good! I
can still save the situation!"
-Tsuzuku-