Chapter 3: Interrogation
Hiroko was glad to have Kogure as a friend. Not only he was gentle, he's smart too and could teach Hiroko the subjects that she couldn't understand.
It became a regular routine for the two to meet up together every morning to study. Sometimes when they had ran out of things to study, they chatted instead, which was a good way to find out more about each other. Soon they became good friends.
As days passed, Kogure found himself looking forward to every morning, because that was the only time he would meet Hiroko. It was nice to have a good friend to talk to. He liked Hiroko more and more as the days went by.
In order to meet Hiroko, Kogure had to reject all those morning basketball practices that his friends offered, much to their displease.
One morning, Kogure was up early again, brushing his teeth. His parents came into the kitchen, yawning.
"Ohayou, Kiminobu." said his parents.
Kogure tried to greet back, but his toothbrush was in his mouth, so he could only manage an unidentified greeting.
"You're up early today again. Are you going to the library?" asked Mrs Kogure.
Kogure rinsed his mouth. "Hai."
"I have never seen you so enthusiastic in your studies, not that you never like studying, but isn't going to the library every morning is a bit too much?" asked Mr Kogure suspiciously.
"I'm, err, tutoring a friend of mine." said Kogure, turning his back against his parents and washing his face.
"Boy or girl?" asked his mother in amusement.
Kogure paused.
"It's Sakuragi." lied Kogure finally, silently prayed that Sakuragi wouldn't find out that he used him as an excuse.
"Don't lie to your Okaasan, Kiminobu." said his father. "It's a girl, isn't it?"
Kogure looked at his parents as he wiped his face.
"Ah, look at you, your cheeks are going red!" said his mother.
"I wiped my face too hard!" said Kogure in defence and covered his face with his towel, revealing only his eyes.
Mr Kogure laughed. "All right, out with it. What's her name?"
"… Hiroko Gouhara." said Kogure slowly as he put on his glasses.
"Oh…" said his parents. Kogure could see that his parents were up to something.
"We are just good friends." added Kogure quickly.
"Yeah right." said Mrs Kogure. "Bring her back for dinner someday, all right?"
Kogure was blushing furiously now. "We haven't gone that far yet…" he said. "I mean…"
All his parents did was laugh.
Kogure rushed to school, his bag hanging on his shoulder. He was going to be late with his meeting with Hiroko, all because his parents' "interrogation".
He ran past the school gate.
"Oi, Kogure!" someone yelled.
Kogure turned and saw his team mates (except Rukawa, who was probably still at home, sleeping). All of them looked as if they were going to a basketball practice.
"We are going to shoot some baskets before class, want to come?" asked Miyagi.
Kogure looked at his watch and said, "I can't, I'm late!"
"For what?" asked Sakuragi, but Kogure had already left.
"I wonder what's he rushing for." said Miyagi.
"No idea, he has been like that for days." complained Mitsui.
Sakuragi grinned. "Why don't we go and find out?"
"What for?" asked Miyagi.
"Just curious." said Sakuragi. "Come on, let's follow him. I think he's heading towards the library."
"Boring." said Akagi. "I'm going to shoot some baskets myself."
"Oi, Akagi, don't you want to follow Kogure?" asked Sakuragi.
"Baka, I'm not crazy enough to do something like that." said Akagi.
"Then we will go." said Sakuragi, leading Miyagi and Mitsui. "We will go shoot baskets later…"
They only walked for a few steps when…
"Chotto matte!" called Akagi fiercely, his loud call managed to stop the trio in their tracks.
"Nadayo?" asked Sakuragi.
"Report to me what's he has been up to when you three come back to court." said Akagi.
The trio went to the library and peeked in through the glass door. They saw Kogure, taking books out of shelves.
"He's just studying, nothing interesting." said Miyagi.
"But Megane-kun's grades are excellent, he doesn't have to study so much." said Sakuragi.
"C-chotto, he's going to a table… with a brown-haired girl sitting at it!" reported Mitsui.
"Let's go in." said Sakuragi excitedly and pushed the door open.
"Chotto, oi, Hanamichi!" whispered Miyagi in panic.
But Sakuragi had already gone into the library. Thinking he had no choice, Miyagi followed. Feeling rather stupid standing outside the library alone, Mitsui went in as well.
The three of them carefully stayed out of Kogure's sight and grabbed books from a shelf nearby. They then sat down a few tables behind Kogure and Hiroko and hid their faces behind their books.
Looking over their books, the trio watched as Kogure and Hiroko having a deep discussion.
"So that's why he doesn't want to play basketball with me in the morning." Mitsui muttered as he watched Kogure leaning closer to Hiroko to teach her about a certain subject in her book.
"He values girls more than his friends now." said Miyagi.
"Traitor." said Sakuragi simply.
"Look, Kogure is standing up." said Mitsui and the trio hid their faces as Kogure walked past them. "Probably gone to the toilet."
"Let's go and say hello to that kawaii friend of Megane-kun's." said Sakuragi, tossing his book aside.
"But…" started Miyagi.
"But what? We are just concerned." said Sakuragi.
"Nosy is more like it." said Mitsui.
Sakuragi tried to ignore him. Mitsui sat for a while before he got up as well.
"Now who's nosy?" said Sakuragi, grinning.
"Oh shut up." snapped Mitsui, sulking.
Hiroko was reading her textbook when three big shadows cast over her, blocking the light.
She looked up and saw Sakuragi, Miyagi, and Mitsui looking down at her. With their massive height (even Miyagi was a few centimetres taller than her) and hard stares, they looked intimidating.
(Hiroko sweatdrops)
Sakuragi and Mitsui bended down and leaned against the table. Hiroko gathered her book and backed off in fear.
They looked at Hiroko coolly.
"We want to ask you…" started Mitsui.
"Hai?" asked Hiroko slowly.
"What's your relationship with Kogure?" asked Sakuragi suddenly.
"Eh?" responded Hiroko in surprise.
"We are his basketball team mates and we are concerned about him." explained Mitsui.
"K-Kogure and I are just good friends." said Hiroko nervously.
Sakuragi and Mitsui stared at Hiroko in doubt.
"Really." added Hiroko quickly.
Sakuragi and Mitsui continued to stare.
"Err, guys…" started Miyagi, looking at the direction of the door.
"Quiet, Miyagi." said Sakuragi and turned to Hiroko. "No wonder Kogure has been neglecting us lately, so he's accompanying you during mornings." he said, grinning.
"It's not like that…" said Hiroko, blushing.
"What are you guys doing?" asked a voice in panic.
Sakuragi and Mitsui looked up and found Kogure standing beside Miyagi. He looked extremely uncomfortable.
Standing up, Sakuragi and Mitsui turned back at Hiroko. "Sumimasen, can we borrow Kogure for a moment?"
"Err, hai." said Hiroko.
The trio turned. Mitsui and Sakuragi grabbed Kogure by the arms and dragged him out of the library.
"Guys, let me go…" pleaded Kogure and his team mates did when they got out of the library.
"Who is she?" asked his friends, all of them were grinning in an evil way. They were so close to him that Kogure panicked. He was surrounded!
"Err, a friend of mine." stammered Kogure.
"Your cheeks are pink." pointed out Miyagi, who was standing right in front of him.
Covering his cheeks with his hands, Kogure turned his face away from Miyagi, but he faced Mitsui on his left.
"How long have you known her?" he asked.
Kogure turned and found Sakuragi on his right. "Own up, Megane-kun, or we will throw the basketball at you again." he threatened.
"Hiroko and I are just good friends!" said Kogure.
"Oh, Hiroko…" said his friends in unison, all looking at him
"Really!" insisted Kogure.
His friends all looked in different direction.
"Guys!" called Kogure in exasperation.
"Eh? What did you just say?" asked Sakuragi.
"I didn't hear anything." said Mitsui coolly.
"Me either." said Miyagi.
"Dah…" thought Kogure.
Feeling that he had no other way, Kogure sighed and said, "Fine. I confessed. I do like her."
"Eh!" cried the trio and leaned close to him in excitement. "So how long have you been going out with her?" asked Sakuragi with interest.
Kogure shook his head.
"Eh, what do you mean by that?" asked Mitsui.
"She doesn't know that I like her." said Kogure. "I, um, I don't know how to confess, I mean, I don't want to rush things…"
Kogure sighed and turned away from them. "I like her ever since I met her but I'm afraid if I confess to her too soon, I might scare her off. I may be good at studying, but I'm not good at courting girls…"
He turned back to his friends. "Maybe I will wait… eh?"
Miyagi and Sakuragi were looking at Kogure with tears rolling down their cheeks like water taps. Mitsui backed away from his two team mates.
(Kogure sweatdrops)
"We understand perfectly." said Sakuragi and Miyagi in unison.
"Hiroko-san, here's Kogure, safe and sound." said Mitsui, smiling broadly at Hiroko a few minutes later in the library.
Kogure sat down beside Hiroko.
"We must be off, bye Hiroko-san, bye Megane-kun." said Sakuragi, grinning.
"Don't call me that!" said Kogure, embarrassed.
"See you at practice." said Miyagi, smiling. "And good luck!"
"Good luck for what?" asked Hiroko, curious.
Kogure blushed. "F-for our homework!" he said quickly.