PART 21
Modern day Kanagawa
"Tetsuo" "What?"
"It doesn't say here how the story ends."
"I wonder"
"Uh, why don't we grab a bite? i'm starving."
"OK"
The two punks left the library still talking about possible endings to the story of The Kingdom of Shohozaku and Koainan. They had enjoyed reading it even beyond acceptance.
In the library, restricted section,
"Ouch...crap" Kiyota murmured half consciously as he felt someone move beside him.
Kiyota turned to look, it was Rukawa, who had just gotten up, wearing his basketball shorts and practice shirt.
"That's strange...i had ourselves warped when you were wearing those stupid clothes and now you're in your basketball get-up? Anyway, you should be thanking me on bended knees for getting our asses back here." Kiyota said haughtily.
Rukawa just nodded and turned to leave. It meant thanks, mutually.
"Ingrateful dick." Kiyota shot back but quite lightly. I'm going home. He looked at the grandfather clock and the calendar at the corner and was surprised to see that it had only been two hours since the book sucked them in. "That's freaky alright." He went straight to Kainan Gym to see his teammates waiting for him. And Shinichi Maki smiling at him although he was 1 hour late for practice.
Rukawa went straight home. He turned on his computer and started typing his assignment. Whatever he typed there no one knew but his professor and of course himself. But the next day when he submitted his assignment he received a B from his professor.
This should cheer him up but nothing or no one could make his heart leap but this blue-eyed scarface ex-gangster who was then practicing his three-point shot in the gym. His stance, his dribbling, the way he handled the ball, his perfectly symmetrical face drew every inch of Rukawa's desire.
The pair of icy blue eyes watched every move the ex-mvp made.
"Rukawa, didn't know you were here." The senior said when he noticed the rookie.
"...."
"No practice today, I just came here to improve my shooting and stamina.You see i feel left out, well maybe just a little." Mitsui said as he grabbed the ball, focusing on his shot.
"I know." came the reply
Mitsui nodded, slightly surprised for he didn't expect a reply. "You're not so slow after all."
Of course I'm slow, I would've ended up in bed with you long ago if I weren't slow, Rukawa was bursting to say, but instead, he grabbed a ball and started dribbling.
"Since you're here and I've been craving for something challenging since morning, uh, one on one?" Mitsui offered awkwardly.
Nod.
"Let's toss a coin then"
"No, you'll have the first ball" Rukawa said coldly.
Mitsui started with a three point shot which was fired netless. Rukawa didn't mind, he was hoping that Mitsui would do a drive inside the paint, that way there would be a reason to be near his sempai by guarding him stickily.
Next, Rukawa's ball, he ended up dunking the ball in Mitsui's face.
Finally, Mitsui went for a drive but as they stepped on the paint his pace slowed down for the rookie was giving him a hard time to get a good view of the ring. Then a clearance and all he had to do was lay the ball on the rim. Just as he launched for the shot Rukawa hurled himself at the senior and they ended up on the floor, Rukawa on top of Mitsui.
"What the hell was that? are you feeling well? maybe i should take you to the infirmary, you never played like that before-" But Mitsui couldn't finish what he was saying for the pale boy was looking at him straight into his eyes. No one had ever looked at him that way, those stabbing yet expressionless eyes touched every part of his insides like some electric rays from an open outlet.
"Sempai..."
"Kaede..."
Rukawa looked at him with longing eyes it seemed to Mitsui that he had never seen a brighter light. The raven haired boy got off Mitsui and the latter stood up first and held out his hand to help his teammate up. Rukawa took it reluctantly.
Now he was standing face to face with the love of his life, the subject of his dreams, the focal object of the lens of his eyes, the drug that kept him awake till 3 in the morning, and the tranquilizer that made him sleep during classes, Hisashi Mitsui; the boy of legendary beauty whom he had always longed for.
He was thinking of how to start, his mind torn with thoughts if he should confess there and then for there might not be a moment like this in the future. Then the thought dawned on him. Rejection. The shame he would have to bear and the pain he would endure if Mitsui said no. But there was no better timing, he had to,
"Sempai?" His voice calm and grave. What he didn't notice since his head was invaded by thoughts, was that Mitsui didn't let go of his hand.
"Kaede..." How he loved to hear him say his name. There was something passionate in it, yet whatever it was; it was languid, latent..,restrained, more like.
"I, I uh, i, er i-" Shit why do I have to be lost for words and speechless and unable to speak and redundant and stammering and stuttering and reapeating everything right now? Rukawa thought.
"I know" Mitsui finished the sentence for him, his diamond blue eyes stared lovingly at his foxy eyes.
Before Rukawa could explain any further, (if he was capable of speaking then) Mitsui pulled him closer and traced the outline his face softly and gently with his fingertips. Rukawa couldn't explain what he felt and never would, all he knew was that he wanted to stay like this forever.
Rukawa leaned closer and so did he, and when their lips met, no feeling was more ecstatic than this. This was better than Hotosashi. The meaning of euphoria being defined.
Somewhere....
'Kiyota, a word please.'
'Captain, I'm sorry I'm late but-'
'Hush, it's alright...you're here.'
'I'm fine, nothing happened, sempai.'
'That's good. Will you...?'
'I will. I always wanted to.'
'Alright. Pick you up at eight, Tom's Diner. Ok?'
'No problem.'
And the captain's footsteps resonated in weakened volume. Kiyota was left alone to celebrate his...
'SUCCESS!!!'
----END----
Note: Took us a hell of a lotta time to finish this. We're really sorry for the delay, it was so difficult to find inspiration and the fact that we never watched Fushigi Yuugi...But we sure wish you love the ending though there are some loose ends. Thanks for all those who submitted their reviews, we're really flattered :-)
Modern day Kanagawa
"Tetsuo" "What?"
"It doesn't say here how the story ends."
"I wonder"
"Uh, why don't we grab a bite? i'm starving."
"OK"
The two punks left the library still talking about possible endings to the story of The Kingdom of Shohozaku and Koainan. They had enjoyed reading it even beyond acceptance.
In the library, restricted section,
"Ouch...crap" Kiyota murmured half consciously as he felt someone move beside him.
Kiyota turned to look, it was Rukawa, who had just gotten up, wearing his basketball shorts and practice shirt.
"That's strange...i had ourselves warped when you were wearing those stupid clothes and now you're in your basketball get-up? Anyway, you should be thanking me on bended knees for getting our asses back here." Kiyota said haughtily.
Rukawa just nodded and turned to leave. It meant thanks, mutually.
"Ingrateful dick." Kiyota shot back but quite lightly. I'm going home. He looked at the grandfather clock and the calendar at the corner and was surprised to see that it had only been two hours since the book sucked them in. "That's freaky alright." He went straight to Kainan Gym to see his teammates waiting for him. And Shinichi Maki smiling at him although he was 1 hour late for practice.
Rukawa went straight home. He turned on his computer and started typing his assignment. Whatever he typed there no one knew but his professor and of course himself. But the next day when he submitted his assignment he received a B from his professor.
This should cheer him up but nothing or no one could make his heart leap but this blue-eyed scarface ex-gangster who was then practicing his three-point shot in the gym. His stance, his dribbling, the way he handled the ball, his perfectly symmetrical face drew every inch of Rukawa's desire.
The pair of icy blue eyes watched every move the ex-mvp made.
"Rukawa, didn't know you were here." The senior said when he noticed the rookie.
"...."
"No practice today, I just came here to improve my shooting and stamina.You see i feel left out, well maybe just a little." Mitsui said as he grabbed the ball, focusing on his shot.
"I know." came the reply
Mitsui nodded, slightly surprised for he didn't expect a reply. "You're not so slow after all."
Of course I'm slow, I would've ended up in bed with you long ago if I weren't slow, Rukawa was bursting to say, but instead, he grabbed a ball and started dribbling.
"Since you're here and I've been craving for something challenging since morning, uh, one on one?" Mitsui offered awkwardly.
Nod.
"Let's toss a coin then"
"No, you'll have the first ball" Rukawa said coldly.
Mitsui started with a three point shot which was fired netless. Rukawa didn't mind, he was hoping that Mitsui would do a drive inside the paint, that way there would be a reason to be near his sempai by guarding him stickily.
Next, Rukawa's ball, he ended up dunking the ball in Mitsui's face.
Finally, Mitsui went for a drive but as they stepped on the paint his pace slowed down for the rookie was giving him a hard time to get a good view of the ring. Then a clearance and all he had to do was lay the ball on the rim. Just as he launched for the shot Rukawa hurled himself at the senior and they ended up on the floor, Rukawa on top of Mitsui.
"What the hell was that? are you feeling well? maybe i should take you to the infirmary, you never played like that before-" But Mitsui couldn't finish what he was saying for the pale boy was looking at him straight into his eyes. No one had ever looked at him that way, those stabbing yet expressionless eyes touched every part of his insides like some electric rays from an open outlet.
"Sempai..."
"Kaede..."
Rukawa looked at him with longing eyes it seemed to Mitsui that he had never seen a brighter light. The raven haired boy got off Mitsui and the latter stood up first and held out his hand to help his teammate up. Rukawa took it reluctantly.
Now he was standing face to face with the love of his life, the subject of his dreams, the focal object of the lens of his eyes, the drug that kept him awake till 3 in the morning, and the tranquilizer that made him sleep during classes, Hisashi Mitsui; the boy of legendary beauty whom he had always longed for.
He was thinking of how to start, his mind torn with thoughts if he should confess there and then for there might not be a moment like this in the future. Then the thought dawned on him. Rejection. The shame he would have to bear and the pain he would endure if Mitsui said no. But there was no better timing, he had to,
"Sempai?" His voice calm and grave. What he didn't notice since his head was invaded by thoughts, was that Mitsui didn't let go of his hand.
"Kaede..." How he loved to hear him say his name. There was something passionate in it, yet whatever it was; it was languid, latent..,restrained, more like.
"I, I uh, i, er i-" Shit why do I have to be lost for words and speechless and unable to speak and redundant and stammering and stuttering and reapeating everything right now? Rukawa thought.
"I know" Mitsui finished the sentence for him, his diamond blue eyes stared lovingly at his foxy eyes.
Before Rukawa could explain any further, (if he was capable of speaking then) Mitsui pulled him closer and traced the outline his face softly and gently with his fingertips. Rukawa couldn't explain what he felt and never would, all he knew was that he wanted to stay like this forever.
Rukawa leaned closer and so did he, and when their lips met, no feeling was more ecstatic than this. This was better than Hotosashi. The meaning of euphoria being defined.
Somewhere....
'Kiyota, a word please.'
'Captain, I'm sorry I'm late but-'
'Hush, it's alright...you're here.'
'I'm fine, nothing happened, sempai.'
'That's good. Will you...?'
'I will. I always wanted to.'
'Alright. Pick you up at eight, Tom's Diner. Ok?'
'No problem.'
And the captain's footsteps resonated in weakened volume. Kiyota was left alone to celebrate his...
'SUCCESS!!!'
----END----
Note: Took us a hell of a lotta time to finish this. We're really sorry for the delay, it was so difficult to find inspiration and the fact that we never watched Fushigi Yuugi...But we sure wish you love the ending though there are some loose ends. Thanks for all those who submitted their reviews, we're really flattered :-)