Part Three:
Pissed off
...
..:Based on Mayuri's P.O.V:..
Now what's taking Onii-chan so long?!
He promised that he would pick me up today after school. Well, come to think of it, he even said that he would accompany me at my part-time job—which was TOTALLY unusual. If he's not up to something, believe me, he would NEVER dare enter that shop.
Especially with all those fan girls lurking around there.
And now I wonder what makes him THIS weird! He's been like this since ever since... he and Sendoh-san met face-to-face that night...
"Mayuri-chan?"
Hey! I know that voice!
I looked back and just as expected, the infamous nose-bleeding guy greeted my view. Just as usual, he's wearing that gentle smile on his face—as if it was permanently carved there.
"Oh hi, Sendoh-san!" I managed to greet. "Uh...I thought that you've already gone at the shop."
"I was supposed to go but I spotted you. I kinda thought that it would be nice if we go there together. You know, treat you a cup of vanilla milk as a token of gratitude." He said and winked.
And that did it.
Now isn't he JUST the most adorable person in the face of the living world?!
My face turned red a bit—as what I had felt and replied, "Gee... that would be nice. But..."
"Oh. Is Rukawa going to pick you up instead?" he asked almost sounding as a statement.
I gave a slight nod as an answer.
"Well, if that's so, let me accompany you here, then while you wait for him. Do you mind if I do?" he asked.
I was some sort of dazed on what he had just requested. Really, Sendoh-san is such a gentleman. No wonder why a lot of girls like him. Why can't my onii-chan be like that?
We sat down on the bench under the tree as I secretly spotted my wristwatch and noticed that it's only 3pm. There's still a whole lot of time for chit-chat and THIS could be my chance to ask some questions that I've been dying to ask him. Like...
"Do you already have a girlfriend, Sendoh-san...?"
He looked at me—quite surprised, I'd say. Then he began his freakin' laugh again. "Do you really see me as a womanizer, Mayuri-chan?"
Well, he does look like one. But hey, that's not my question!
"Of course I do. Everybody else would—take onii-chan as an example... He told me you had 66 girlfriends in a row!" I answered simply.
"Eh? Rukawa said that? Look who's talking..." he retorted in an amused tone.
So the great Sendoh Akira has a good sense of humor, huh? Now that's what I call 'NEWS'. And I'd say that it's also news that he doesn't want to answer my question.
"But I still don't..."
Or maybe not.
I looked at him—doubtingly and asked, "You didn't think I would believe that now, did you?"
He laughed again but this time—he was literally LAUGHING OUT LOUD. How could a famous ace player of all aces and an
ever-so brilliant game strategist like him still didn't have any girlfriend? He could have more than one, I tell ya.
And me? I had one already. One that I truly loved. Yes, with the '-ed' at the end. But I don't intend on telling him.
"Looks like your chaperon had arrived already." He said as I felt approaching footsteps towards us. Smooth yet cautious footsteps. Yep. That's definitely onii-chan.
Just as onii-chan reached us, he glared directly at Sendoh-san who had stood up and faced him. Oh boy... I could smell something that I doubt would be nice.
"I would like to borrow my sister now, if you don't mind." Onii-chan said bluntly.
"Go ahead. It's not like I'm someone with authority to stop you, Rukawa Kaede." Sendoh-san replied coolly.
Wait. Why is this kind of atmosphere appearing whenever these two are talking face-to-face? The atmosphere of the upcoming impact between two atomic bombs...
"You're wrong, ahou... You're definitely SOMEONE to my lil' sis."
My eyes widened and I frantically stood up. My goal: To shut up onii-chan's f' mouth before he spills out everything that I've told him last night!
I grabbed his right arm and let out a nervous laugh. "Ahehehehe... Sorry about that, Sendoh-san! Onii-chan is just being cheerful right now so he says things he didn't mean to and he says something 'unprivileged'!"
Oh man... all I could do now is pray for Kami-sama to make Sendoh-san believe me.
"Oh? Is that so? Well, See ya at the shop, then." He gave a departing gesture and wore his placid smiling mask again as he began to walk away from us.
As soon as he got out from our sight, I could only sigh in relief.
Then I glared back at my could-I-crush-him-now onii-chan.
"You've just made a BIG mistake and you're gonna pay for that." I muttered—actually 'threatened' would be better.
"Who do you think you're scaring, baka neko?"
"NEVER dare call me THAT again or going to pay me back DOUBLE!!!!!!!"
"Baka Mayuri, Baka Neko. What's the difference?"
"TRIPLE!!!"
"There's nothing you can do about it. I'm gonna bust up your cover, baka neko."
"THAT'S IT!!! NO MORE NICE, LITTLE SIS!!!"
And what happened after that? The rest is history in Kanagawa District.
...
One. Two. Three.
I took a deep breath and faced Sendoh-san who was currently doing the dishes. I have to talk to him and I can do it! I have to tell him and I can do it! Does that sound like a ritual chant?
"Sendoh-san!" I accidentally exclaimed out loud.
Oh his part, he was kind of surprised, too but regained his composure back and asked, "Hai? Mayuri-chan?"
I began to twiddle my fingers in embarrassment and I lowered my head. Definitely not wanting him to see my crimson-covered face.
"Ano... I just want to tell you...I'm sorry." I managed to say.
He looked back questioningly at me and asked, "What for?"
I took out my gift of apology for him and handed it out. "Well...I kind of felt guilty about what I did yesterday. You know, waving at you and getting you hurt and all... I...I just want to say that I won't do it again. Here's a sign of my promise, Sendoh-san! Please take it!"
He took the gift from my hands and smiled back at me. "A basketball keychain? Well, at least getting hurt rewards me double. Thank you, Mayuri-chan and forget the whole thing already. We're friends, right?"
My face brightened and all the anxieties vanished. "You're so kind, Sendoh-san!" that's why I love you so much...I silently added.
"Oh! And one more thing Mayuri-chan, please call me 'Akira-kun' now, alright?"
"Okay! Call me 'Mayu-chan' in return, then!"
We stared at each other for a while. Probably we lost some words to say.
"You got some soap on your face, Akira-kun." I said and pointed at his nose.
And then we broke into laughter.
It's so nice to hang around him—especially when onii-chan is NOT around. Maybe he's still sitting at the chairs drinking his milk. You know, being this close and calling each other like some sort of 'close friends'...
"Ehem..." We both stopped.
A fake cough.
A fake cough by onii-chan.
And it's not JUST an ordinary fake cough.
"There you are, Rukawa! Are you going home now with Mayu-chan?" I heard Sendoh-kun asked casually. My eyes shot open in horror as I heard him address me as 'Mayu-chan'—in front of my brother.
Nobody calls me 'Mayu-chan' except our family relatives. Unless...
"Did you just call my sister 'Mayu-chan'?" I heard onii-chan ask.
"Uh...yeah. Did I pronounce it wrong?" Akira-kun asked back.
Onii-chan folded his arms and eyed the both of us suspiciously. "There's nothing wrong in how you pronounced it. The thing is, why you pronounced it."
Sendoh-san looked back at me with teary-eyes. .:a/n: imagine a teary-eyed chibi Sendoh-kun!:. "Mayu-chan! I am confused!"
"Eh? Don't worry, Akira-kun! Onii-chan won't eat you!" I blurted out beginning to turn red.
"Akira-kun?" Veins started to pop out onii-chan's forehead. "You've got some explanation to do, baka neko!"
Now what is this?! Onii-chan thinks that me and Akira-kun are 'acquainted'?! Oh god...! Poor Akira-kun!
"Hmp. Addressing each other with first names definitely means something..." Onii-chan said and walked towards Akira-kun. "S-Sendoh...How dare you mess with my sister..."
"R-Rukawa?! It's just a name for heaven's sake!" Akira-kun exclaimed in total confusion.
Wait. JUST a name?! Doesn't he know how much it means to me?!
"I HATE YOU, Akira-kun!!!" I shouted and ran out of the room unmindful that I had passed before Mrs. Honjou.
...
"Wait! Mayuri--" Sendoh was cut off when Rukawa blocked his way.
"You just HURT my sister, ahou..." Rukawa mumbled.
"I did? Damn, I got to follow her!" Sendoh exclaimed and was once again stopped by his rival.
Rukawa set aside some bangs covering his face and said, "Let's make a deal, shall we?" Sendoh's face turned confused as he asked, "Deal? What deal?"
Rukawa stepped a few paces away from him and pointed outside the door, "Let's face it. You like my sister. You could go ahead and talk to her but there's a catch."
"And that is?" he asked nervously.
Rukawa looked at him with eyes full of confidence. "Defeat us in the District Tournament and you'll get to talk to my sister. I'll even help you out. And if ever your team goes to Inter High, you get my permission to court my sister. Easy, isn't it?"
Then Rukawa turned back and was about to walk out of the room when he added, "But if your team didn't... you get to leave my sister alone and forget you'd ever met her... That's it. We got a deal, then?"
He wanted so much to talk to Mayu-chan and go explain—and even want to court her in the near future. Looks like he did mess up with the wrong girl.
And how stupid of him to think that having Mayu-chan as his special someone would be easy just like that?
But still...
"You definitely got a deal, Rukawa Kaede..."
...
Author's notes:
Uhm... I just want everyone to know that I'm editing this story to make it all better. I made a twist to make it more entertaining—if ever that was entertaining. I would now focus on Sendoh's hardships to conquer to win not just the game but Mayuri's heart as well instead of focusing on the 'sweets' thing.
So, I would like to tell everyone that I'll be changing the title and summary of my story but I won't delete it. I'll just edit it and I hope you liked my idea. Thanks for the support! Kip in touch minna!