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Chapter 10: White Christmas

Christmas was coming and Mitsui, feeling rather generous, invited all of his friends in the basketball team (including Ayako and Haruko) to his house to celebrate Christmas.

"Oi, Kogure, why don't you ask Hiroko-san to come along?" asked Mitsui as he wrote down how many people were going for the party after the basketball practice.

"Do I have to? She doesn't know you very well…" said Kogure slowly.

"Baka, the more the merrier!" said Mitsui impatiently.

Kogure still looked uncertain. He was staring at Mitsui in a suspicious way.

"All right, all right, I promise that I won't tease you and Hiroko at the party, okay?" asked Mitsui, throwing up his hands in defeat.

"All right, I will ask her." said Kogure, smiling and picking up his bag. "Ja ne!"

"But I'm not sure about Sakuragi and Miyagi…" Mitsui muttered after Kogure left.

December 24th

"Good evening, Merry Christmas!" said Hiroko cheerfully to Mitsui when he opened the door of his beautiful bungalow. "How kind of you to let me come."

Kogure took off his blue scarf and handed it to Mitsui's maid. "Arigato."

"Merry Christmas to you too. And I'm happy that you could come. Let's go to the den, everyone is there." said Mitsui and he led the couple to the den. "Minnasan, look who's here!"

"Ah!" cried Sakuragi and grinned. "It's the couple of the year!"

Miyagi cheered and whistled.

Hiroko blushed and smiled. Kogure looked at Mitsui. "Mitsui…" he growled.

"I promise I won't, but I never say that Sakuragi and Miyagi will stop." said Mitsui in defence.

"Couple? What couple?" asked Ayako with interest.

Kogure sighed inwardly as Miyagi whispered in Ayako's ear. Ayako was a girl after all and it was possible that she was interested in this kind of thing.

"Sit down, just ignore them." said Mitsui, smiling and pulling Kogure and Hiroko down to the floor to sit with the rest.

"Eh? Rukawa? I thought you didn't want to come?" asked Kogure when he spotted the quietest player of the team was there.

Rukawa shrugged. "I was bored at home."

"Why don't you sleep then? That's the only thing you do at home." said Sakuragi.

Rukawa frowned. "Shut up, idiot."

"Wild Fox." replied Sakuragi, scowling.

"Err…" said Kogure frantically, trying to break up the fight which was about to start. "Rukawa, I suppose you haven't met my friend Hiroko Gouhara?"

Rukawa looked at Hiroko coolly and nodded in politeness. "So you are Kogure's girl huh?"

Hiroko blushed furiously while Kogure buried his face in his hands, thinking, "I should have known better than introducing Hiroko to Rukawa…"

"Not a bad looking girl." said Rukawa quietly before he returned to drink his Pepsi.

Everyone except Hiroko stared at Rukawa in shock, for he seldom gave a compliment to anyone he came across.

Noticing that almost everyone was staring at him, Rukawa lowered his drink and asked in annoyance, "What?"

Haruko looked at Hiroko in admiration, for she wished that it was her that Rukawa praised.

"1… 2… 3... Merry Christmas!" yelled everyone (except Rukawa) and they all pulled their crackers over the cake that was provided by Mitsui. Then they blew out the candles together and cut the cake.

As they ate, they started a game called "Unlucky Number". One of them chose a number without telling anyone what it was except the range and all of them would have to guess what number it was. The one who got the number right or the one who got the number last would be punished.

"75." said Kogure.

"1 to 75." said Mitsui, who was choosing the number.

"70." said Rukawa.

"1 to 70."

"50." called Miyagi.

"50 to 70."

"60." said Ayako.

"60 to 70."

"67?" asked Haruko timidly.

Mitsui whistled. "67 to 70."

"69?" asked Akagi.

Mitsui grinned. "You're lucky, Akagi! It's not 69."

"Then that means it's… 68?" asked Sakuragi in panic, who was next.

Mitsui nodded and applauded along with the rest of the people. "Congratulations!"

"What's there to congratulate?" snapped Sakuragi. "Fine, what's my punishment?"

"Go and jump into the pool outside." said Mitsui, grinning evilly.

"Nani! But I will freeze to death!" said Sakuragi in horror.

"Don't worry, just come out straight after you have jumped in." said Mitsui.

"Go Sakuragi. You're so strong, nothing will happen to you." said Haruko in encouragement.

Sakuragi blushed and smiled. "Since Haruko says so…"

He took off his shirt. "Then I will jump!" he announced as Mitsui and Miyagi cheered and whistled.

He marched out of the den and to the swimming pool, with his friends following him. All except him had their warm clothes on. Hiroko even had her hands rubbed by Kogure, so that she wouldn't feel cold. The cold wind blew at Sakuragi and he shuddered. But he continued to walk and stepped onto the diving board.

For a moment he hesitated at the sight of the freezing waters.

"Go on, Sakuragi, jump!" yelled Mitsui in amusement and Miyagi laughed.

"He will catch a cold, that's for sure." said Kogure.

Sakuragi continued to stare at the water.

"Oi, Sakuragi, isn't there a saying that an idiot won't catch a cold? You will be just fine." said Rukawa calmly.

At that sentence, Sakuragi turned and scowled at Rukawa. "You wild fox! I will catch a cold for you to see!" he snapped and immediately, he dived into the swimming pool with a loud splash.

Miyagi and Mitsui cheered as Sakuragi resurfaced and swam to the edge of the pool. Then they quickly went and helped him out.

"I will get a towel!" said Mitsui and he ran off.

Once everyone was back in the den, they carried on the game. This time, it was Sakuragi who was giving the number.

"47." said Mitsui.

Sakuragi drank his hot chocolate before he said, "1 to 47."

"40." said Akagi.

"1 to 40."

"30." said Haruko.

"30 to 40."

"32." said Ayako.

"32 to 40."

"35." said Miyagi and closed his eyes tightly.

"35 to 40." said Sakuragi and Miyagi sighed in relief.

"39." said Rukawa.

"Darn… 35 to 39." said Sakuragi unwillingly. "Megane-kun, your turn."

For a moment, Kogure just went silent. There's only a slight chance that he would not get the number right…

"Kogure, hurry up." said Sakuragi impatiently.

"37?" said Kogure quietly.

Sakuragi stared at Kogure. Then he grinned. "Bingo!"

"I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead..." thought Kogure as he looked at Sakuragi with Mitsui's towel over him. He would hate to think what would happen if he jumped into the pool. And more importantly, he couldn't swim.

Then he laughed nervously. "Is it all right if I don't jump into the pool?"

"Who says that you need to jump into the pool?" asked Sakuragi.

Kogure blinked. "Huh?"

"What's his punishment then?" asked Mitsui.

Sakuragi thought for a while. "Kiss Hiroko, right in front of all of us."

Kogure went pale while Hiroko's cheeks went pink. "No way!"

"Way." said Sakuragi, nodding.

"Just hurry up and get it over with. I'm sure you two have a lot of practice." said Miyagi, grinning with excitement.

"I haven't kissed anyone except my mother in my entire life!" thought Kogure, feeling he had been wronged.

Even Ayako and Haruko were leaning forward with eagerness. Akagi watched with amusement. Rukawa just sat with his arms folded, not interested with the whole thing.

"Hurry up, Kogure." said Miyagi.

Kogure looked at Mitsui for help, but he just shrugged helplessly and smiled. Obviously, he wasn't trying very hard to help Kogure out.

Feeling rather pressurized, Kogure had no choice but to face Hiroko. "J-just close your eyes, Hiroko."

Hiroko nodded in embarrassment and closed her eyes.

"The good show is coming up." said Miyagi, rubbing his hands.

"Anyone got a camera?" asked Sakuragi.

"Aho." said Rukawa.

Kogure took a deep breath, leaned forward and kissed Hiroko lightly on the cheek.

"Okay, I'm done." said Kogure quickly and moved back, who felt that he was burning from head to toe. Hiroko had her head lowered and didn't say anything.

"Just a peck on the cheek? No fun." said Sakuragi in disappointment.

"I think it's pretty cute." said Haruko in awe.

"Just let them off." said Mitsui finally, waving his hand. "Let's carry on the game."

After the game, it was time for exchanging the presents. Sakuragi and Miyagi were extremely happy to get their presents from Haruko and Ayako respectively and they treated their presents like gems.

When 10pm came, Hiroko announced that it was time for her to go home.

"Eh? But we want you to stay for the countdown to Christmas." said Mitsui in disappointment.

"Gomen, my father wants me to go home early." said Hiroko apologetically.

"That bear…" Sakuragi muttered in resentment.

"I will escort you home." said Kogure, getting up. "Then I will go home as well."

"Aw, Kogure, not you too!" Mitsui protested.

"You know me. I always go home earlier than the rest." said Kogure calmly. To be honest, he didn't want to stay behind alone and get teased by Sakuragi and Miyagi the whole night.

"I will see you two to the door." said Mitsui, getting up.

Sakuragi and Miyagi looked at each other before they grinned.

"What are you two grinning about?" asked Ayako.

Miyagi beckoned Ayako to come over and whispered into her ear.

After Kogure and Hiroko left the house, Hiroko smiled. "Your friends are… pretty amusing."

"They're… okay." said Kogure. "Only when it concerns basketball." he added to himself silently.

"I do hope Sakuragi is all right." said Hiroko.

"He won't be." said Kogure firmly. "He will make sure that he will catch a cold, just to prove that Rukawa is wrong."

Hiroko giggled.

Then, white snow slowly drifted down from the sky. Silently, they covered the whole place.

"Ah, it's snowing." said Hiroko in delight and stretched out her hand, letting the snowflakes to land on her palm. "It's white Christmas…" she said suddenly.

Kogure nodded in agreement. "White Christmas."

Hiroko blushed slightly and let out a breath. "Phew, it's freezing out here." she said, rubbing her hands.

Kogure smiled at his girlfriend slightly.

"Come here." he said gently and without hesitation, he put his arm around Hiroko and pulled her close, just to keep her warm. "Better?"

Hiroko smiled sweetly and nodded.

When they were near Hiroko's house, Hiroko turned to Kogure. "Arigato, I will just walk by myself from here."

"You sure?" asked Kogure.

Hiroko nodded. "W-well… um, I guess we have to say goodbye."

Kogure nodded but he didn't say anything. Neither did Hiroko. They just stood there and stared, no, gazed at each other.

Slowly, they moved forward and closed their eyes. And then…

Hiroko bumped her forehead against Kogure's glasses.

"Ouch, itai!" said Hiroko quickly and she moved back, rubbing her forehead.

"Gomen!" said Kogure and examined Hiroko's forehead. "Daijoubu? I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

Hiroko giggled. "It's okay… We're inexperienced after all."

Kogure grinned and took off his glasses.

Once again, they moved forward and this time, they managed to kiss.

As Kogure and Hiroko were locked in an embrace, 5 people were watching them from where they were behind a lamppost, carefully staying out of the couple's sight. They were Mitsui, Miyagi, Sakuragi, Ayako and Haruko.

"It's so romantic." said Haruko dreamily.

"Took Megane-kun long enough to finally kiss her." complained Sakuragi.

The teenagers giggled quietly.

"Come on guys, let's go back before they spot us." said Mitsui.

The five teenagers left, leaving the couple behind.