jigglypuffedupego03 : Thank you, too!
TIMES : Yes, naawa ako sa iyo! Hahaha! Well, here's the next chappie!
Sabaku no Aruka : Yes... although I have no idea where to put the angsty part in, if I'm ever going to put in any. Please don't be self-concious... I'm sure you do better than I. At times, I really do suck there.
mithyave : Thanks a lot. Yes, and it seems that this fic is a result of too much Korean Dramas my sister watches. Everyday it's always the same old love triangle.
yvonne : bows Thanks. I like to see Mi-chan suffer! Waaaaahhhhhhh!
bishie tezuka: Wow, wish I could see it, too. If I'm ever to go out overseas, Japan's definitely on the top of my list. I've always wanted to see the cherry blossoms. I heard it was a sight to die for. Yes, it is already summer in here and the heat is killing me! That's why I'm sooooo delayed in updating and I'm always out of the house. Aww... not you too! Rooting for Akira-kun... sob. Oh well... Thanks for the very beautiful comment. Haven't watched that anime though. I kinda missed it when WOWOW ran it. I only got to watch Onegai Teacher, Vandread, Full Metal Panic, and another anime I forgot what the title was... and I was proud of myself! I watched it without subtitles (whoopee!)... anyways! I love Charles Dickens and Tale of Two Cities is great.
STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY
Literary Obsessions Chapter Eight : Charmed
"Where's my name?" Yuu checked the list posted on the bulletin board beside the Dean's Office. One of his professors had a big case to take care of and decided not to show up for class for three days. His brows furrowed as he checked the list of accepted interns anxiously. A grin spread on his face as he finally saw his name. "Yes!"
Yuu almost jumped. He immediately ran out of the building. He had to call Aiko.
"Hai? Aiko desu." A rather sleepy voice answered the other line.
"Hey, wake up sleepy head!" Yuu greeted with excitement. "I've got news for you."
Aiko rubbed her eyes and sat up from her bed. She gave out a yawn then stared at the clock beside her. Nine thirty. She grunted. "Onii-chan, its only nine thirty! I intended to get up at lunch today. I only had five hours of sleep."
Yuu's face fell serious at hearing this. "And why is that, my dear imouto-san?" He asked while he was on the verge of reprimanding her.
"I was just out with Yanagi and the others-" Yawn again. "You know, Fuu-chan's friends? They invited me to a party. It seems that one of their classmates was having a birthday bash or something."
"You weren't out drinking, were you?"
"Tch. No! You know how red I get when I drink." She almost shouted back at her brother. "Being as red as the devil the whole night is not exactly my plan of enjoying the party."
Yuu felt relieved. He wasn't used to see his sister going out to parties since she was more of a loner. But then again, with Fuuko and her friends, life would probably take a good and exciting turn. They were so extroverted.
He heard another yawn at the other line. "So, what's the big news?" Aiko asked, her voice was now more awake.
"Well, I finally got an internship."
"Wow!" Aiko said excitingly. "That's great! I'll tell okaasan. Congratulations!"
"Yeah. And I was planning on celebrating since I've been waiting for this for two months already."
Aiko snorted, then suppresed her laughter. "Yeah, yeah... and because of that, you're getting sappy." Yuu laughed, too.
"Well, I just wanted to tell you the big news. Maybe you can go back to your beauty sleep now. Ja."
"Hmmn." Aiko muttered before hanging up. Yuu only smiled. 'Now to go find Fuuko to celebrate.' He thought as he started dialing Fuuko's cellphone number.
Fuuko examined her ankle. It was really swollen. She frowned at the sight. She had worse experiences than wearing high-heeled strappy sandals, but those never even broke a bone from her body or sprained an ankle... but this had to sprain her ankle now. She tried moving her ankle, but she winced at every attempt because pain shot through her legs as she moved it.
Ring ring!
Fuuko almost jumped. She placed her hand on her chest and let out a breath of relief before grabbing her bag and fishing out her phone.
"Hai?"
"I finally got the internship!" the voice on the other line said in an excited tone.
'Internship?' she wondered. 'Who is this anyways?' She looked at the screen of the phone and saw it was Yuu. She mentally slapped herself.
"That's good, Akira-kun." She said, putting on a small smile while she carried on looking at her swelling ankle.
"Where are you? Let's go celebrate!"
"I'm in the hostel." She answered, as if she didn't hear the celebration part.
"Ok. I'll be there in ten minutes. Ja." And the line went dead. Fuuko just threw her phone on her bed and continued moving her foot.
Mikagami ran about from the convenience store down the street. He bought a small pack of ice and ice pack for Fuuko's ankle. He almost ran back upstairs to her room.
"I told you not to move it." He said as he saw her moving it but wincing in the process.
"Hai, hai, Mikagami-sensei." She mocked. "Since when did you become a doctor anyways?"
He didn't answer her but he glared at her. He sat down on the floor and picked up her feet again. He then prepared the ice pack and placed some ice on it. He then gently placed it on the top of her ankle. She let out a small yelp. But soon, the pain slowly disappear. The pain lessened that at times, she couldn't even feel it as he moved it. After a few minutes of treating her ankle, he removed it. He moved it again, she didn't whimper anymore.
"Better?" He asked. She only nodded nimbly in reply. He moved it some more. "It doesn't hurt that much anymore. Arigato, Mi-chan."
He let out a small smile. "Good."
Then, he found her staring at him. "What?"
"You're smiling." She teased.
His face fell into an expressionless one again. "No."
"Yes, you were." She teased again. She then smiled back at him. "It's nice. You should smile more often, Mi-chan. I'd bet your fawning admirers would love that."
"Get over it, Kirisawa." He said, trying to defend his pride. She only laughed.
Knock, knock.
She stopped laughing and tried to stand up, but he prevented her from doing so. "I'll get it." She was about to stop him but he already reached the door and opened it.
"Mikagami?"
"Akira-sempai."
Yuu took one good look at Mikagami, then peered over the latter's shoulder. "Where's Fuuko?"
"Inside. Come in." Yuu raised a brow at Mikagami, but went in. He was now wondering if he got into the wrong room, wrong hostel or anything like that. But, he saw Fuuko sitting on the bed, tending to her ankle. She didn't even hear him walk to her. She only noticed him when she looked up as Mikagami shut the door.
"Akira-kun?"
Yuu looked at her, then at Mikagami, to Fuuko again, then at her ankle. "What happened?" He asked. He sat on the floor to see her ankle. It wasn't swelling much anymore.
"I almost fell over. Good thing Mi-chan was there. He took me back here." Yuu looked at her now not-so-swollen ankle and looked at Mikagami.
"So, that means you can't walk, ne?" Yuu asked in a semi-serious tone. Fuuko frowned at him.
"If you must know, it's only a little sprain." Fuuko spat back. Yuu almost laughed at her expression. "Besides, Mi-chan already took care of it. Ne, Mi-chan?"
Mikagami only made a small nod. He then picked up the ice bag and came back with a first aid kit he found below the counter of the bathroom. "We need to wrap that up so you'll be able to walk with ease."
"Oh." She said to Mikagami before smiling. "Could you move a little to the side, Akira-kun?" She asked Yuu, and he did as she bid. Yuu stood up and gave Mikagami room to treat Fuuko's sprain. Mikagami soon got busy with wrapping her ankle and finished in a few minutes.
"You can walk without feeling any pain now. Just don't try to sprain it some more." Mikagami said as he watched her walking slowly, trying to see if there would be pain if she tried to put weight there like before. She smiled when she didn't feel any pain. She turned back to Mikagami. "Arigato, Mi-chan."
Mikagami then turned to the door to leave the room. "I'll see you in class, Kirisawa." Fuuko only nodded and waved. With that, he was gone.
Fuuko stared at the now closed door. She managed a small smile and sigh as she looked at it.
Yuu followed her stare and waved his hand in front of her. She was snapped out of her reverie. "Gomen." She apologized. Yuu shook his head and smiled before taking a seat beside her.
"So, I guess you can't celebrate with me now?" He asked jokingly.
"If you can carry me, then, maybe." She replied. He laughed at that. He then stood up and decided that he too should leave and let Fuuko rest.
"Well, we can celebrate some other time, then. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Mhhmmn," she mumbled and he patted her head before leaving.
"And Emily Dickinson died in her room alone. Her short poems were discovered by a family relative and most of them were left untitled." One of their classmates explained. Fuuko took notes and listened alternately as two of their classmates had made their own presentation on one of the important American poets they were discussing. A few more minutes had passed and the presentation was finished. Harukawa-sensei went to the middle and congratulated their classmates.
"Well done. A few minor setback, but considerable. Good work." Harukawa-sensei praised the presentors and the whole class applauded them as they took their seats. Everyone started arranging their things and preparing their assignments to be submitted. Harukawa-sensei took them and gave them a new list.
"I've managed to pull a few strings to make things easier for you people." Harukawa-sensei said as she distributed the papers to each row. "Here's a list of the plays to be performed during the next few weeks. Included in it are the schedules, director, where it will take place and how much the ticket will cost. Other information will be included in the programme to be given to you on the when you watch one of those. I want you to do include the programme in your portfolio on your selected play and the rest is a minimum of twenty-five pages, bookbinded, hardbound. It is to be passed during clearance so that I will have the time to give you your final grade. Understood?"
Everyone nodded and some merged groans in it as they read through the list and listened to Harukawa-sensei's explanation of the final paper. The bell rang and everyone got up. Fuuko fixed her things as everyone started rushing out of the classroom.
"How's your ankle, Kirisawa?" Mikagami said after he made sure that their classmates were quite busy in leaving the classroom.
"Well, I can walk now." She grinned at him. "Thanks to Mikagami-sensei, that is."
He almost snorted at that. But he couldn't help but smile as she smiled at him. He now forgot that she was bothering him and his thoughts, as he complained to Akira before. She stood up and placed her bag on her shoulders. "Well, Mi-chan, I'm off. Ja ne!"
Mikagami stood up as well, but stopped her. "Matte."
Surely enough, Fuuko stopped and turned back at him. "Nande?"
Mikagami swallowed. This was the first time he was going to do this... and doing it with her, it might be his last. When he didn't answer, she peered at him. "Daijobu?"
"Maybe you can accompany me to lunch." Mikagami stated and Fuuko raised her brows. She stood up straight and managed a small laugh. "Are you sure you're alright?" She asked, just to make sure that she was still talking to THE Mikagami Tokiya.
"It's my treat." He answered, trying to avoid her teasing. She laughed hard.
"Well, well! Isn't this quite a change!"
Mikagami almost glared at her, but his gaze turned soft as he did realize that this was quite a change. "Then, we can discuss about-" He was about to make up another excuse but she waved him off.
"Yada, yada, yada. You're trying to make up excuses again." Fuuko cut him off. "You worry too much. I don't reject invitations from a friend, you know. Sure I'll go." She assured him and he let go of the breathe he was holding in. He nodded at her and started walking towards the door, with her following him.
When they were out at the hallway, people were once again staring at them, as if it was daily routine. But Fuuko had managed to ignore them, as she tried to make an idle chat with Mikagami. To her surprise, he would constantly respond to what she was saying.
"Really? I mean, why can't they just say what they want to say?" Fuuko asked as Mikagami discussed to her some lines from King Lear as they walked through the corridors (that turned quiet all of the sudden just to hear them). "It's called artistry, Kirisawa. If you're someone who is to woo someone, you just don't tell them what exactly is there. And it's also referred to as alliteration."
Fuuko then pouted and made a slow nod as she stared at the reviewer Harukawa-sensei previously gave them. Obviously, the professor had planned to give out Shakespeare as a Midterm exam, and Fuuko maybe a reader, but Shakespeare was definitely out of the question. She was shuffling through her books when she found the reviewer, and out of curiousity, read it. She ended up discussing it with Mikagami. And well, what do you know, he was more than interested in it.
"You see, the sun could refer to happiness since it represents light. Heaven could mean pearly golden gates, or the state of being in love." Mikagami explained as he and Fuuko walked. She listened intently at him. "Now, you try giving it meaning."
Fuuko huffed and stared at one of the statements written there. She heaved before answering him. "Well, it means that love can be blind at times, but may also cause happiness to a person in the midst of its so-called blindness."
Mikagami stopped. They were now out of the building and on the top of the stairs. He smiled at her. "Well, that's it. Very good, Kirisawa."
Fuuko smiled back and beamed at him. "See, I told you I'm good!" He chose to disregard that comment and went down the stairs. She trailed behind him.
And as usual, the students (who you thought were listening) were discussing about them again.
'Did he just say that she was his sun?'
'No, he said she was his heaven!'
'Obviously, you weren't listening! He said, he was in heaven with her!'
'Will you just quit it! He just professed his love to her!'
'He said, I'm blindly in love with you.'
'Yeah! And she answered it in the same way.'
And more came along in those lines...
"Sooo, where are we going to have our lunch. I'm ready for a buffet meal, if you don't mind." Fuuko tease Mikagami, but he chose to remain as stoic-looking as possible. Fuuko poked him playfully when he didn't answer. He caught her hand as she tried to poke him the fourth time and placed it down. "Just wait and see, Kirisawa." He said before letting her hand go. She then stuck her tongue out at him.
They walked into the parking lot and Mikagami opened his car. Fuuko stopped in front of the now open passenger seat. "I guess this means were not going to eat anywhere near here?"
Mikagami answered by starting the engine. When she still stood outside, he stepped on the gas and the car roared. She rolled her eyes and went in. Then, he drove away.
"Congratulations! I heard you just got accepted in one of the biggest firms here in Tokyo." Reiko said as she hugged Yuu.
"Yeah, and starting now, I have more work that has to be done." He reasoned as he returned the friendly hug. He then sat at the table and she sat opposite him.
"Where's your mate?" She asked as she took notice of Fuuko's absence.
He shrugged. "Can't seem to find her these past few days. She's always off somewhere."
"Oh?" Reiko smiled slyly. "Wanna know what I've been hearing around school?"
Yuu raised an eyebrow at his friend. She sat up straight and didn't even wait for his answer. "Well, I heard that Fuuko-san's now hooked the ice bloke sophomore from your department. I believe his name was Mikagami. Anyone you know?"
Yuu didn't look at Reiko, who was now smiling widely at him. Her eyes sparkled in amusement as she enjoyed teasing her boss. "Yes. We are, after all, in the same Student Council and department." He then took a drink from the mango juice that one of the waitresses just placed on their table.
"Really? Do you happen to be interested in the same girl, too?" He almost choked on his drink. She almost laughed her head off.
"What makes you say that?" Yuu asked, trying not to strangle his friend.
Reiko tapped the side of her forehead. "I use this, my dear... and I believe I do have eyes, you know."
Yuu took another drink and sighed. "Do you even think I stand a chance?"
Reiko smiled. She knew her friend was serious. He rarely fell for a girl, even if they swarmed around him and she had managed to save him more than once from that predicament. "No." She joked. Yuu glared at her. She laughed at his expression.
"But, seriously, I think you do. I mean, I believe you have something good going on."
"He knew her long before I did." Yuu complained.
"He beat you by four or five years, so what? If he managed to ignore her then, sure as hell she would shoot back." Reiko reasoned. She sighed and patted his hand, who was now gripping the napkin rather tightly.
"I don't know Fuuko-san that much, but I'm sure she'll give you a chance. Just try beating Mikagami into it."
"That's the problem." He looked intently at Reiko. "I was the one who started it."
Reiko raised an eyebrow at her friend. "You started what?"
"I kind of convinced Mikagami to thaw a bit around her. She told me all about him and his ice-cold exterior, and I only told her I knew him when we saw him eating here."
Reiko raised her hand to make him stop. "So, the bridge broke down and fell. Ah, the wonders of love." A customer entered and she stood up. "Well, I see you've got one heck of a competition going on then. I say, if you want her, then you must make a move, or else you'll lose."
With that she left to attend to the customers and he only sighed and gulped down the last drops of his juice.
A/N: Hey, I managed to get back on track again! Again, gomen for the delay. I promise to try and upload the next chapter as soon as possible.