You broke it- you fix it

Pale fingers darted over mauve plastic buttons, causing the small animated figure on the game screen to flip and jump in a combo. The word "bonus" exploded across the screen in a font that appeared 3D, only to fade into the background of olive brown.

Eyes focussed solely on the game, Kimiko Tohomiko was perched cross legged upon a beam supported by to stone pillars.

Interestingly enough, the game was not a version of Goo Zombies, but a new prototype. The story focussed around a Ninja, with abilities so powerful, he was feared by many. One day, an evil force convinced the people of the Ninja's village that he used his powers to corrupt and destroy, thus the Ninja was banished, so now the Ninja is questing to clear his name, and earn back the respect of his people.

Equally as interesting, was the fact that the game was called 'Ninja Fred', and though he had been enraged when the game arrived, Raimundo had yet to prove that the protagonist's name was stolen from his beloved teddy bear.

So enrapt with the contents of her fathers latest parcel to her, she didn't notice as a boy with tanned skin and ruffled brown hair lumbered past her while bouncing a soccer ball up and down on his head.

Raimundo Pedrosa likewise was unaware of his friend to his right, so passed her, without so much as a hello. This lack of noticing each others presences, created a situation just waiting for disaster. Unfortunately so, a giant doll that looked remarkably like Kimiko's old doll (for which she is deathly afraid of) leaped out from behind a building in the game, and the girl let out a short half yelp half scream in alarm.

Taken in surprise by the sound, Raimundo swivelled his head around, catching sight of Kimiko briefly, before his soccer ball that had been suspended in air, was wrenched down by gravity, and hit the boys shin, and rebounded off to fly in Kimiko's direction.

"Kimiko, look out!" Raimundo shouted, his hand reaching out, though he was too far away to grab the black and white ball away from the inevitable impact. Kimiko, also only realizing her friends' presence now, looked up to see the ball flying towards her head. Her mouth set in a gape, she flung her arms up into the air to pull her head down, sending her new game flying.

SMASH

Opening her eyes to see if the sound had been her skull, Kimiko was happy to find that her head was still in good health. Raimundo too was glad, and he hurriedly walked over to retrieve his ball and to check on Kimiko. Shoving the ball underneath his arm, Raimundo rested his hand on Kimiko's shoulder attentively.

"You right?" He asked, and Kimiko looked up to see that a real look of concern across his features.

She nodded, and sat up in her previous position.

Raimundo let out what seemed to be a sigh of relief, before grinning.

"Nice scream by the way"

'So much for the concern' Kimiko thought bitterly.

Raimundo stood up, and he glanced at something behind them. An amused smirk settled on his face now. She followed his gaze, and gasped out aloud in horror when she caught sight of her game, which was now reduced to a pile of dented plastic. So it hadn't been her skull that had smashed, but her game instead. And she had been so close to defeating it.

She stood up in a huff, and picked up wreckage, turned around, and shoved it into Raimundo's hands.

"You broke it, you fix it" She stated plainly.

Taken by surprise, Raimundo shoved the former game back into the Japanese girls' hands.

"Girl, I can work my way round technology fine, but I ain't no technician"

Kimiko frowned, her mouth set into a firm line, before shoving it back.

"It's your responsibility now Pedrosa, no questions ask"

Raimundo's sense of pride flared up, and shoved the even more battered game back to Kimiko.

"I'll ask all the questions I want. Why not just get your dad to fix it?"

Okay, so that was a good question, but stubbornness over ruled sense, and that caused Kimiko to shove the game back.

"Cause I don't need to trouble my dad with result of your antics. Now fix it, or I'll tell the world about your Ninja Fred"

A cold smirk stole over Kimiko's face now, and Raimundo sighed in defeat, before sending a glare of his own back.

"You play dirty girl, real dirty"

Snatching the game from her, he sat down and set to work figuring out how to fix the darn thing.

Satisfied for now, Kimiko turned to exit the room.

"Tell me when you're done" She commented slyly over her shoulder, before leaving the Brazilian to fumble over the device's small parts.

Half an hour later>>>

"There, I'm done!" Raimundo growled, dropping the newly fixed game into Kimiko's lap.

Kimiko had retreated to the tree near the temple after the game had been broken, and was surprised when Raimundo had dropped down from the tree limbs above with the Ninja Fred game.

Holding the console up to the light, she inspected it carefully, before turning it on, and completing level one.

"Satisfactory"

Raimundo raised an eyebrow.

"I spend half an hour on that, and all you can say it satisfactory?"

Kimiko nodded, and turned the game off.

Raimundo slumped down next to her.

"You gotta be kidding me!"

Kimiko smirked once more.

"Well you can stop complaining now, and go and play your soccer elsewhere"

She picked up the soccer ball that Raimundo had brought with him, and tossed it up. Due to lack of judgement, the ball hit a limb that had a sharp twig jutting out, and the ball popped. It fizzed around for a while, before puffing out its last puff's, and dying in a suffocated fart on Raimundo's head. Peeling it off his hair, Raimundo let it drop into Kimiko's hands, and folded his arms decisively.

"You broke it, you fix it"

Kimiko picked the remains of the soccer ball up with her fore finger and thumb, before flinging it back at Raimundo.

"Can't revive this old thing, I'll just get you a new one"

She stood up, as they'd begin training soon, and she dusted herself off before speaking again.

"But until then, maybe this can suffice"

She bent low, and planted a light kiss on Raimundo's cheek. It was fleeting, but enough to make the boy turn an interesting shade of fuchsia.

Kimiko then quickly made to make her escape down the hill, before Raimundo realized that she too, was blushing.

Raimundo sat there for a moment, contemplating whether to follow Kimiko or not, but decided not to, and instead chided himself for getting so flustered over a girl.

But for fixing a game, and ruining his soccer ball, a kiss wasa pretty fair exchange.

END

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Okay, okay, so I should be working on the next chapter of 'Ever been to Rio?' but this story popped into my head, and I couldn't resist writing it.

Much luv

Mizani