Dokyusei
by
Nana
Chapter 15
Deuce
*****************************
Author's Notes: I realize it has been a while since Miroku and Sango have had a decent scene; this chapter will remedy that, hopefully. So! On with the story…
Incidentally, Urasue-sensei, the Math teacher mentioned here, is the name of the witch who gave Kikyou her second stab at life (manga #5). R&R most welcome!^^
Disclaimer: Much as I wish Miroku and Sango were mine, they're not!
*****************************
For the second straight day that week, they had perfect powder-blue-sky weather.
On Saturdays, a trickle of students came drifting in and out of Sengoku High for their extracurricular activities.
At the track oval, the athletes warmed up before beginning their practice in earnest.
Sango did a few stretching exercises before taking a few laps around the oval, alternating jogging with bouts of sprinting, glad to be out in the sun.
She had missed this. There was nothing better than a good run to clear one's head. Running gave a semblance of being able to distance oneself from one's thoughts.
Takagi stared at her after a few hundred meters of sprinting. "I really envy your enthusiasm," he said, panting. "But considering how many days have passed without having a decent run, I suggest you don't overdo it, or else you'll strain yourself."
Sango merely smiled humorlessly.
Well, she was feeling so much better now. Really.
So what if Fukuzawa Miroku had effortlessly moved on? Of course, what she had found him doing in the corridor yesterday was totally in keeping with his character, anyway. What else would she expect from him, right?
What he did to her in the garden a week ago must surely have been a matter of routine for him. It was plainly nothing to get excited about. From the look of things, it seemed he had forgotten all about it already.
Or it may just be possible that after the slapping incident, he had come to his senses enough to leave her alone for good.
Whichever way, he seemed to have lost interest in her at last. What Sango could not understand was the ambiguity of her feelings about this.
Hadn't she wanted him to leave her alone? He had done so the whole week. She should by all rights be rejoicing.
Well, I am! She told herself crossly. At least now I don't have to be on guard all the time anymore! And I don't have to keep looking over my shoulder to find him breathing down my neck!
But supposing he's avoiding you…
The thought arose before she could squelch it.
….Well, so what? He had no right to be angry because he deserved to be slapped, anyway.
Or is he waiting to see what you will do if he avoids you long enough?
The thought was even more unpleasant than the last. And it was highly possible he was capable of such treachery.
It sent a chill through Sango.
Maybe you're just over reacting, she told herself uneasily. There's really no reason to be so paranoid; after all, everything is just speculation.
But why are you torturing yourself by speculating on the full spectrum of possibilities behind the motives of that sukebe, anyway? A more rational part of her brain argued impatiently.
She had so many questions, but no answers.
Well, maybe she needed to run some more.
Yeah, she guessed that would help…
***************************
In the end, Sango remained in the track longer than she had planned, staying on after the others had gone. She had been so preoccupied that she had not noticed the subtle change taking place across the sky. When she finally looked up to see the banks of gray clouds racing furiously to engulf the waning sun, she knew she was too late. This was going to turn out as one of those sudden, violent storms that had besieged the city the past couple of days.
Oh, no…and I didn't even bring an umbrella…! Sango thought as she cut across the field to the dressing room.
But even as she hurried to change into her jeans, the ominous patter of raindrops had sounded, turning quickly into a continuous gush of rain.
******************************
Sango had been waiting thirty minutes at the doorway of the changing room, but the rain was showing no signs of relenting. It continued to fall hard as a single, heavy curtain, turning the track oval into a field of mud.
She had thought of running for it, but she knew she wouldn't be able to make it without drowning first. Not when it would require a full fifteen-minute sprint from here to the back gates of the school (and that was in perfect-weather condition), with no shady stopover to shelter her from the rain.
And by the time she got to the subway station, she would be soaked to the bone. Otousan would give her hell if he found out she wasn't taking care of herself.
Well, why didn't you bring an umbrella? She berated herself, but it was too late for that now.
Her only hope lay in the fact that a miracle would happen and somebody coming out of the school building would be passing here just now on his or her way out by the back gates. But what was the chance of that happening, given it was already Saturday afternoon? The whole school would be deserted by now!
But wait a minute…
…What was that?
Sango strained her eyes through the thick curtain of rain, catching movement apart from the steady fall of water.
An obscure figure under an umbrella was slowly emerging from the silhouette of rain. It was coming nearer. Sango waved at the person frantically.
Whoever it was finally saw her, was coming over after a brief pause.
"Thank goodness you came along," she said, beginning to smile. "I thought I was going to have to wait for--"
And the words died away in her throat when she realized who it was.
"Well, well. Fancy meeting you here…Sango." Fukuzawa Miroku's tone was one of pleasant surprise, as if he had bumped into an old friend he had not met for a long time.
"You!"
"Yes, me. Unfortunately," he said dryly as he correctly interpreted her tone.
Sango struggled not to back away. There would only be the dressing room door behind her, and that was not going to help her at all.
"Well?" she said after a moment. "What are you waiting for? Go on."
"Funny," he said, beginning to smile. "I thought you were in need of some assistance."
"Whatever made you think that?" Sango shot back.
"'Thank goodness you came along'," he recited a bit mockingly, quoting her word for word. " 'I thought I was going to have to wait for--' what was that word supposed to be, Sango? Forever?"
His smile widened as he saw the slow blush creeping up from her neck to the roots of her hair.
"So," he said invitingly, holding up his umbrella. "What do you say?"
"I--I am not going anywhere with you!"
"Come now, Sango," he said, sounding disappointed. "And here I was thinking you were a sensible girl. You'll just have to take my word for it when I say I will be the last one to pass by here for quite a while…unless you're counting on the janitor. But then, his shift doesn't end until ten in the evening. So…what do you say?"
Sango forced herself to look into his eyes. She could see the amusement dancing in the violet depths, and she could tell he was right. As much as she hated to admit it, she had no choice but to accompany him out.
Grudgingly and without another word, she swung her bag over her shoulder and got under the umbrella, refusing to look at him again.
There was a brief moment of silence as they started walking.
"You can drop me off at the subway station." Sango broke the promise she made to herself that she was not going to speak to this guy when the silence became uncomfortable. "I can handle it from there."
Fukuzawa responded with a slight tilt of his lips. "We'll see," he said.
"What do you mean, we'll see?!" Sango exploded.
Fukuzawa turned to her. "Okay then. You'll see," he said blandly.
Unforgivable! Thought Sango as she looked away, struggling to keep her breathing even. He's simply unforgivable! Apart from being a shameless lech, he was definitely an opportunist. How dare he seize a situation like this and take full advantage of her?!
They had reached the school gates, and Fukuzawa continued walking the path he chose, leaving Sango with no choice but to tag along with him under his umbrella.
"HEY! The subway is over there!" Sango pointed to the opposite direction.
"The café is much closer," he said, jerking his head to the direction of the restaurant. "How long have you been practicing?"
The question was rather unexpected, and Sango was too startled to resort to subterfuge.
"Since this morning."
"I take it you haven't had lunch yet," he concluded correctly. "Might as well eat something before you go home. The rain might stop by then."
"But I don't feel like it!"
To be more accurate, she did not feel like being seen anywhere with Fukuzawa, and the sooner she could fob him off the better.
Sango involuntarily drew her head back when he suddenly lowered his face and looked into her eyes.
"And I would rather that we go inside the café to warm ourselves rather than walk two more blocks in this weather, so that pretty much settles the matter, doesn't it?" He said softly. He never stopped smiling.
Sango stared at him, her eyes wide. What was THAT all about??? His tone remained pleasant, but the intent was unmistakable.
But before she could blink, he straightened up and gave her an encouraging slap on the back. "And who knows? You might find that hanging out with me isn't really all that bad!"
"I doubt it," Sango said with gritted teeth. "And, we are NOT hanging out!"
***********************
Entering from the cold rain, the café was bright, warm…and mercifully empty.
Fukuzawa chose a corner table and they sank down onto cushioned seats.
"Order anything you like," he told Sango easily as the waitress handed them menus.
"I will," said Sango, deliberately opening her menu with a loud flap! "As I intend to pay MY own bill!"
Fukuzawa chuckled appreciatively at her astuteness. She ignored him.
Because she was particularly hungry, Sango ordered a large double cheeseburger (the café's specialty), tons of fries and a large chocolate milk shake.
"I'll have coffee," Fukuzawa told the waitress, who was staring at him as if she could not believe her eyes. Miroku was thankful she was too polite to say anything.
"I already ate," he explained to Sango.
And indeed, he had. In this same restaurant, in fact, only much earlier in the day. And with somebody else.
"Oh."
Sango looked away, suddenly finding the picture on the wall beside her very interesting.
This…is so unbelievable! She thought, trying to will her heart to slow down. Who would have thought that she would end up eating lunch with Fukuzawa Miroku, of all people?
But of course, she wasn't here of her own free will, so she guessed this did not count.
After a moment, she attempted a casual glance at his direction, wondering at his silence, and found him staring out the window. Outside, the rain continued to fall.
He did not seem to notice that she was looking at him, and Sango suddenly felt shy as she watched him from the corner of her eyes.
From the way he was behaving, he did not seem to be angry with her. And if he had really been avoiding her these past few days, he wouldn't have bothered forcing his company on her like this now, right?
But why should you feel guilty at all, Sango? She suddenly asked herself, horrified. It's not like you did anything wrong! On the contrary, you're supposed to be angry with him, remember?
Still…
Her wary gaze wandered along the lines of his black shirt and along the curve of his throat, ready to look away the moment he turned his head back to her.
All traces of shyness, however, evaporated the next moment when Sango's gaze moved up and landed on his left cheek. She could feel her brows coming together.
What she was seeing defied explanation. Certainly, it had faded to a very, very faint yellow, but it was still there.
One week after the incident, there's NO WAY it could still be there! Sango thought furiously. Unless he's been doing something to it! She wouldn't be surprised if he had repeatedly been pinching it just so he could make it stay longer!
Fukuzawa finally turned his head to find Sango glaring at him.
"What?" he asked, his eyes wide.
"What," bit out Sango, pointing at his left cheek," is that still doing THERE?"
Fukuzawa touched the small bruise on his cheek. "Oh. This," he said. "You tell me."
Sango could see that the glint of amusement was back in his eyes, as well as a hint of a challenge.
Well, Sango thought. He's not going to wring out an apology from me! Come to think of it, he should be the one to apologize for his awful behavior back in the garden!
"ExCUSE me," she said coldly. "I didn't hit you THAT hard!"
"How can you tell?"
"Well…surely it wasn't hard enough to give you a bruise that will last a week!" cried Sango. "What have you been doing to it?"
"What do you want me to say?" Fukuzawa asked, making it plain that he understood she was not going to accept any answer apart from the conclusion she had already drawn.
But her next move surprised him.
"Why does everything have to be a matter of evasion for you?" she asked suddenly, regarding him with narrowed eyes. "Why can't you just answer a simple question?"
Miroku froze.
Sango continued to stare at him. "I know how you do it. You've got no qualms about dissecting other people's lives for your enjoyment, but when it comes to yours, you're as tight as a sealed oyster, aren't you? What are you trying to hide?" She asked.
For one alarming minute, Miroku felt as though she had sliced through him effortlessly with those clear, brown eyes and had seen something deep inside him. But how could she possibly do that, when so many others had tried and failed?
This was getting weird.
He allowed a weary look to cross his face as he swerved to another direction. "And why is it every time we bump into each other, we end up fighting?" He asked.
"You see? You're changing the subject!"
"Why, Sango?" He persisted.
"Why are you asking me? You're the one who started all this! Remember what you said to me that day at the track oval?"
"I can remember what you said at the canteen," Miroku said, avoiding her question with practiced skill.
"Look!" she said, slamming her fist down on the table for good measure, having just about enough of his mind-twisting games. "Once and for all, I was not coming onto you then, okay?!"
Miroku held up a placating hand, grinning broadly. "There's really no need to be so…passionate about it, you know," he said, suggestively.
Sango turned a pretty shade of pink. He could tell by the way her brows were twitching that Sango was going to let loose a storm--as soon as she found her tongue.
With an inward sigh of relief, Miroku relaxed, glad that he was back on familiar ground.
Getting Sango all hay-wired, after all, was what he did best. But Sango getting clairvoyant and correctly guessing at some hidden aspects of himself was something he had not expected and did not care for. It would not do that she would know too much about him.
Before she could say anything, though, the food arrived.
Sango was too hungry not to start eating, thereby delaying the argument further and giving Miroku another chance to change the subject at will.
He looked at the food she had ordered with interest.
"You always order like this?" He asked, taking in the giant burger she was holding and the pile of fries before them.
"So?" she asked as she sipped her milk shake.
"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "I take it you're not on a diet."
She fixed him with a deadly stare. "Do you think I need one?" she growled.
He looked at her appraisingly, and Sango could feel the warm caress of his eyes almost as though he had touched her. An alarming thing.
"No, you don't," he said quite truthfully. "It's just--I'm just relieved. You're the first girl I've been with for a long time who's not on a diet. I kind of missed that."
Sango blinked, not sure how this turn came about in the conversation.
"I mean, it's been hard going out with girls who don't eat much," he continued. "I end up starving as well."
Sango stared at him, groping for words. The moment turned awkward.
"Here," she finally said, pushing the plate of fries over to him. "I think I just lost my appetite."
It finally dawned on Miroku just what kind of impact his words had on Sango. "G-gomen," he said hurriedly. "I didn't mean--"
"No. Go ahead, have some."
Miroku sighed, aware that he had made a clumsy mistake. Somehow, with Sango, his smooth technique just seemed to short-circuit by itself. He finally took some of the fries as a gesture of peace.
An uncomfortable silence ensued.
"Do you…always use that line with the girls you go out with?" Sango ventured a bit cautiously.
"What?"
"You know. That diet line."
Miroku wanted to laugh. What was she getting at?
"Why would you want to know?" He asked.
"Because it sucks. I'd consider revising it if I were you, " she said calmly as she resumed eating.
Miroku stared at her, and it took him a moment to realize she had effectively robbed him of speech.
A most unprecedented notion! Fukuzawa Miroku, captain of the debate team? Rendered speechless by Mikagi Sango? It was almost too much to bear!
"Are you…are you offering me advice?" He finally managed, beginning to smile.
He couldn't believe this! This was getting to be the most interesting conversation he'd had the whole week!
"You mean to say you need it?" Sango fixed him a wide, innocent look.
Miroku blinked. Was she finally getting even with him at last and calling it deuce?
He had been right about this girl. From the first instant, he knew she was going to be different.
"I'd like to hear what you have to say," he conceded, not giving her a direct answer.
Sango hesitated.
"No--seriously. Give me some feedback," he urged.
"Well," Sango began. "Girls, in general, are rather prickly about a lot of things, but nothing will strike a chord more than the mention of diet."
"Wait, wait. I don't get you. I thought girls are rather fond of saying they're on a diet. Like 'Oh, no thanks, I'm on a diet'--that kind of thing," said Miroku.
"That's exactly the point," said Sango, looking as though she had pinned down a very simple problem. "You let them do the talking about diet. Boys simply cannot start the diet line and not expect the girl to run away. Especially with the way you started yours. You'll have her in paroxysms of self-consciousness in no time! She'll think, 'Does he think I need one?' See? Haven't you thought about that?"
From the look on Miroku's face, it seemed he had not.
He continued to look at Sango as though he had never seen her quite properly before.
"Well, you didn't seem to have trouble with it," said Miroku. Then he added hastily, "at least, not much."
"Oh, please," said Sango airily. "Why would I get affected by anything you say?"
Of course she did, and he knew it. But of course she wasn't going to remind him that.
Fukuzawa laughed, and Sango found herself looking away, alarmed at the flood of warmth she felt at the sound of his laughter.
A part of her was whispering she had to be extra careful. After all, this was no ordinary opponent. This was the devious Fukuzawa Miroku she was dealing with here, and she was not supposed to lose sight of the fact she found him vile and disgusting. It was just difficult to focus on his vileness when he laughed.
What does he think he's doing? Sango was not buying the fact that a guy whom she had slapped the last time they met was on his best behavior now. It was obvious he was up to no good. But the prospect of being able to throw a little mud his way was too much for Sango to resist.
"You know, I always thought you knew all the answers when it comes to girls. It's really nice to know otherwise," she said, biting into her burger.
"Ouch." He grinned good-naturedly. He did not seem offended at all.
Sango relaxed, and most unexpectedly and almost against her will, the corners of her lips quirked sideways in the smallest of smiles. Miroku blinked, not sure he had seen right. It was certainly faint, but it was a smile nevertheless.
The fact that this was the first time she ever smiled at him like this was not lost on Miroku. He could feel something twist hard inside his chest, and for the second time that day, found that the power of speech had left him.
Almost instantly, though, as if Sango remembered who she was dealing with, her smile disappeared.
"So," she said formally. "How's it going with Kobayashi Koharu?"
Miroku was too skilled, too experienced to let his surprise show. So Sango had known. And there was no way she could have known if she had not been there in the corridor to witness it all yesterday. And quite obviously, she had jumped to her own conclusions.
"Fine. Just fine. You know Koharu?" Miroku asked politely.
The nerve…! Isn't he going to say he's going out with her? Sango thought, exasperated. And if so, how could he possibly DARE to show up in public with another girl??!
She couldn't explain it, but she deeply resented the fact that the other girl had to be her.
But no matter how much she wanted to, Sango could not bring herself to open the delicate subject further, even though he did not seem to be uncomfortable with it. Well, why should she talk to him about it? It's not really any of her business.
But still…
When she still didn't say anything, he changed direction. "So, how's it going with classes?"
After a brief struggle, Sango allowed to let the matter slide for a while.
"Fine. We've got a Math exam coming up."
"Oh? I'd suggest you get reviewers for that. Knowing how Urasue-sensei formulates her exams, I'm sure she won't stick to just the lessons in the book," said Miroku.
Knowing that sadistic witch, she was going to get her stuff from a few select, reviewers, thought Miroku. He'd been there before.
"She doesn't," agreed Sango. "That's why I'm planning on dropping by the bookstore and buying some later."
"So when is the exam going to be?"
"Wednesday."
Fukuzawa nodded and let the matter drop. He moved on to something more interesting.
"So. How's it going with Higurashi and…what's his name again?"
"You mean Inu Yasha?"
"No…that guy with the short brown hair."
Sango felt her jaw drop open. "Y--you mean, Houjo-kun?"
How could he possibly have known about Kagome and Houjo-kun?
"Right. Him. I saw him waiting for Higurashi outside this cafe this morning. Seems like they had a date," said Miroku matter-of-factly. "And there I was thinking Nishi Inu Yasha had something going on with Higurashi based on the state he was in when I saw him last."
Sango frowned and her voice cooled noticeably by several degrees as she said, "it's no wonder, considering what you were doing to Kagome-chan at the time."
Miroku paused briefly as he remembered the target audience to whom he had intended his little show with Higurashi that afternoon in question. Inu Yasha had only shown up by accident, but the whole thing had been meant for the girl sitting opposite him now.
He could tell she was not amused, but in a way, he was happy to note she had cared enough to remember at all.
Some of his thoughts must have shown on his face, for Sango asked a bit sharply, "And what are you smiling at?"
"Nothing," he said, hiding his grin as he sipped his coffee. "I was just thinking how looks could be deceiving. Too look at Inu Yasha and Higurashi…"
He shrugged eloquently.
"No…I don't think that's really it at all," said Sango softly, and Miroku looked up inquiringly at her suddenly meditative tone.
"I just think guys don't know what they really want," she said finally.
"You're generalizing," he observed, surprised.
"Am I?" Sango asked as she looked at him, her eyes rather thoughtful.
And Miroku quickly replaced the cup he was holding onto its saucer before he could spill its contents.
What does she mean by that? And why is she looking at me that way?
Sango looked as though she were about to ask him something but changed her mind at the last minute.
"I heard the debate team's hosting this year's interschool debate competition," she said instead.
"That's right," said Miroku, leaning forward despite himself. "It's two weeks away and we're in the middle of preparations. Wish us luck with the debate."
"Well, you don't really need it," Sango said candidly, "I'm sure--"
And she stopped abruptly as she realized the implication of what she had just said.
"Well," she said a bit defensively at the look of blank surprise on Miroku's face. "It's not like you don't know you're good at tearing people's arguments up!"
"I'll take that as a compliment," said Miroku, his eyes dancing.
It's not meant to be one! She had wanted to say, but she was arrested by the happy look on his face.
Well, she really didn't mean to compliment him! She thought, irritated. And of course it wasn't her intention to make him happy!
She cast around for something else to say.
"So what's the topic all about?"
"Do you really want to know about this stuff?" he asked. "I mean it's pretty boring."
It was never boring to him, but he knew most people found the technical issues of serious debate dull.
"Well, sure," she said in her usual no-nonsense way. He was aware that Sango would not bother to sit through anything with him out of sheer politeness, and the fact that she seemed genuinely interested in the debate topic made Miroku smile appreciatively.
"Okay, so this is how it goes…"
And most unexpectedly, one thing led to another, and the quiet, rainy Saturday afternoon sped by.
When Sango finally glanced outside, the rain had stopped. She gasped as she looked at her watch.
"Time to go?" Miroku tried to keep the disappointment from showing in his voice.
"Yeah. It is." Was it just wishful thinking, or could it be he heard a tinge of regret in there somewhere?
He signaled for the check.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Sango said as he took hold of the chit when it came.
She made a swipe at it, but he effectively held it beyond her reach.
"Payment for your most insightful…advice earlier on," he said, fishing out a bill from his wallet.
"No way! I won't let you!" said Sango.
She turned to the waitress, who was watching their antics with considerable interest. "It's not like we're on a date or anything!" She said loudly.
The waitress smiled politely, accepting Fukuzawa's money all the same. Sango could tell she thought otherwise.
"Here." Sango pushed a bill toward Miroku once the waitress departed.
"What's that for?"
"My payment!" she said. "You don't think I'm going to let you walk out of here thinking you can have your way, do you?"
"Have my way?"
"I really don't know what you're up to, but I do know you're going out with Kobayashi Koharu, so you just can't do this!"
"Do what?" He asked very innocently.
"This! This whole…thing about dating a number of girls all at once!"
"I thought you said this wasn't a date?" he asked and chuckled as he saw her turn bright red.
He had to admit, he had missed playing with Sango the whole week.
"C'mon, Sango, why can't I?" Miroku asked, beginning to smirk.
"S-sukebe!" It was the only thing Sango could think to say.
Miroku laughed--a pleasant, boyish sound full of mirth, highly addicting. "My dear Sango, you still have a lot to learn. Just because I went out with Koharu doesn't mean we're going steady. That's quite a different thing entirely. So of course I can do this."
"This was NOT a date!" Sango hastened to clarify as they left the restaurant.
Miroku was still smiling, not bothering to agree or disagree. "Whatever this was," he said, shaking the remaining droplets of water from his umbrella before rolling it up, "it was highly interesting. I never thought I'd enjoy it immensely. I would, of course, offer to walk you to the subway, but no doubt you will turn it down. So I will take my leave now by saying I'm looking forward to seeing more of you soon, Sango."
With that, he turned to go, leaving Sango to wonder if what took place in the last two hours or so had been for real.
The guy was as obnoxious as ever, but underneath it all, there was something else about this guy...something that Sango had almost caught a glimpse of. And no doubt, he had discovered a thing or two about her that she was sure he would never have guessed at in a million years.
And the idea that they had somehow gotten along together, in whatever strange terms and however briefly, did not feel…unpleasant.
Whether Sango liked it or not, she had to admit something had changed. She was on speaking terms with Fukuzawa Miroku, but surely, he couldn't possibly mean that they're friends now, could he?
******************************