Chapter Four: A Date: Part 1
---------------------------
"What? Who?" they all curiously asked.
Kaede shook his head. "No, what I mean is… someone like this… girl in this bio-data." He said softly.
"Let me see…" Sakuragi began, snatching the paper from him. "Not bad for your taste Ru, she's definitely cute."
"But…" Kaede was blushing. "Anyway, I'm not choosing a wrong mail."
"Why not go to the address here?" Mitsui asked. "Maybe, she'll like you!"
"Oh yeah." Ayako agreed. "No one declines a Rukawa Kaede…" she giggled.
"I'm definitely not trying." He said stubbornly and that seemed so final. So they stopped teasing him. But in his mind, he still wants to meet the girl personally. He took the bio data and folded it. He kept it in his coat.
(He wears a black turtleneck and a brown coat, with matching black pants. The season is Autumn, and it's nearly Winter.)
"Hey! Rukawa, you really don't know how to deal with girls…" Sakuragi said. "Hey, have you asked someone out already?" he curiously looked at his friend.
"Yeah," he answered. Everyone went giggling, and their expressions were unexplainable.
"We never knew that side of Rukawa!" Ayako cried out. Akagi was also surprised, and was now also tinted with red.
"Dad did it…" He suddenly said, still using 1-3 words reply.
"I see, so he's such a matchmaker!" Ryota exclaimed. "He desperately wants you to have a girlfriend!"
"Hmn, if this search does not make any sense or work out…" Kogure began "then we'll have to suggest one girl for Rukawa."
"What do you mean 'suggest'?" Ayako asked.
"Some nice girl that would like him and Rukawa would possibly like." Kogure answered, looking at different directions. Ryota came closer to Kogure.
"So it means that we're gonna be the one to matchmake huh?" Ryota concluded. "And that girl. That girl might be someone we ALL know."
"Nice conclusion!" Kogure exclaimed.
"But who?" Sakuragi asked. "Who in this campus? Ayako!"
Everyone looked at her. "Hey! Definitely NOT me! No way! I'm older than Rukawa! It's inappropriate!" she was quite blushing, waving her hands continuously. Kaede shrugged at this.
Ryota was also acting defensively. "Yeah! Sakuragi, you big fool!"
"What did you say, curly hair!"
"And what do you think of your red hair!"
"It's so soft and silky!"
"No way, you've got to be kidding! That hair of yours is so hard and oily!"
"What? It's not oil! It's Suave! I am using hair moisturizers!"
"Whatever, it looks oily to me…" Ryota continued.
"STOP THAT HAIR ARGUMENT NOW!" Akagi shouted, and everyone definitely kept quiet. Then they looked straight at Akagi,
"How about Gori's hair?" Sakuragi whispered. Ryota giggled. But Akagi's keen senses made him realize what the two boys are whispering about. He came to them and hit them simultaneously. Of course it hurt them.
"I have only one person to suggest." Akagi said, in a very serious tone. Everyone listened, and the sleepyhead Kaede became alert and awake.
Suddenly, Haruko came in. "Sumimasen, Big brother, I came here for your lunch…" she suddenly said, looking at everyone who's so serious. "What's going on here?"
She blushed when she saw Kaede seated at a chair, with everyone else standing beside and behind him. Her big brother was beside Kaede, and then he suddenly pointed out to Haruko.
"You want your lunch now?" she asked, bringing it out. Everyone giggled, except Kaede of course.
"Gori's just hungry!" Sakuragi cried out "that's why he has high blood pressure!"
"Idiot!" he slammed Sakuragi's head. "Haruko, come here."
"Hai." She answered softly, flinching and shyly heading to her brother and to where Kaede is seated. He was unemotionally staring at the basketball ring, with that blank expression. She finally arrived in front of them. Then her brother tapped her shoulder lightly, and said:
"Haruko, will you go out on a date with Rukawa?"
Everyone turned silent, and Kaede suddenly glanced at them…
---------------------------
"Nani!" Haruko exclaimed, "big brother, you're so weird!" she hit him with the lunchbox. It hurts.
Haruko was blushing. "How could you ask a question like that in front of many people!" she cried out.
"Y-Y-You d-don't really mean that, ne, Gori?" Sakuragi stammered.
"NOOOOOO!"
"She's not your girlfriend anyway!" Ryota murmured. Then he inched closer to Sakuragi. "Rukawa might not like her, so don't you worry." He whispered.
"B-But, but… Haruko-san is such a cute girl!" he insisted. "In case they'll be together… Ru might like her… and…"
"The problem will be solved!" Mitsui added. "Coach Anzai would just love captain's idea!"
"No way…!" Sakuragi tried to voice out. "I like to help Rukawa… but on the other hand…"
"As I've said, it won't work." Ryota whispered to himself.
---------------------------
"Eh?" Haruko exclaimed, revealing her weird side. "B-But…"
"It's fine." Kaede muttered, still with his blank expression.
"Okay." Akagi said. "meeting adjourned. Haruko, Rukawa, we'll be waiting for the result of this!"
"Don't tell me he treated this like a ninja mission or something of the CIA!" Mitsui said.
"Well, we don't know what would happen…" Kogure replied. "I hope he'll learn to like a great girl like Haruko."
"I agree." Ayako said. "I guess, it will be a happy experience for her."
Haruko and Rukawa were left standing by the bleachers. Haruko felt tensed, uneven to do or say something. But in case she would not initiate, nothing might happen. She knew that Rukawa is like that. She keeps on thinking what to say or do… until…
"Let's go." Kaede said, slowly offering his hand.
"R-Rukawa-kun?"
"Hn?"
"Nothing," she smiled.
She took his hand and they walked together out of the gym. Rukawa rubbed his cheek with his right pointing finger. Then he let out a sigh as soon as he saw the large crowd emerging from the gates. They were the "Rukawa rejects" and some were plain people who know what's happening.
"Hey get out of the way!" Mitsui and Ryota tried their best to drive out the noisy crowd of issue makers.
Sakuragi was sulking under a tree. He isn't happy about what's happening.
---------------------------
"Stop right there!" a masculine voice demanded, really shoving the large crowd. Suddenly, in a dramatic entrance, Aota and his "Judo Club Gang" appeared, with a very annoying smile…