Title: The Challenge (Part IX)
Author: ficeler37
Note: Don't own Mai-Hime. I'll let Sunrise take the credit.
Rating: PG
Word count: 1065

Summary: It's Shizuru Vs. Takeda.

A/N: Hi everyone! I feel like I should post a longer chapter just cuz it's weekend, but I came upon a nice cliffhanger, so I decided to stop. Maybe I'll write another one-shot just for the hell of it. Stay tuned!

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Natsuki…did she just …Shizuru raises her own hand and caresses the spot on her cheek that seems to be radiating heat. And now she's too shy to look me in the eyes…KAWAII! With no warnings, Shizuru throws her arms around Natsuki, who is startled due to the sudden embrace. "Whatever I'm doing next, I do it for you, Natsuki." Shizuru tightens her arms around Natsuki's shoulders to let her feel her seriousness.

After the initial shock has passed, Natsuki's facial expression softens into a relaxed smile. She closes her eyes and brings her arms up to Shizuru's waist. It's amazing, how the words that came from that idiot's mouth can sound so different when they are spoken by her. "I know. I believe you." Natsuki opens her eyes again, and lets go of Shizuru. With a lopsided grin that Shizuru has never witnessed before, Natsuki hands Shizuru a cue stick. "Now it's time for you to go kick some ass."

Takeda takes in the scene in front of him. What does that Kyoto woman have that I don't have? How come she got a kiss AND a hug from Kuga? Is this what they call women's friendship? Takeda looks over at the ever smiling Reito and shudders at his own thought. Alright, guys are different. I don't think I can handle a kiss and a hug from Kanzaki senpai. It's a chick thing, I guess.

Shizuru strides confidently towards Takeda. With the black mini skirt that she is wearing, Shizuru playfully sways her hips in a subtle manner, fantasizing about Natsuki checking out her long legs. Hehe, Shizuru, you are now clinically insane. Of course Natsuki is not going to stare at your legs. She's not some teenage boy with uncontrollable libido! Although…it'll be nice if I can get a blush out of her. Shizuru turns her head slightly and peeks at Natsuki out of the corner of her eye. To her surprise, Natsuki's eyes are indeed fixated on the lower part of her body. Now it is Shizuru's turn to blush. Does Natsuki even notice what she is doing?

Takeda, sensing a strange vibe surrounding the girls again, decides to get everyone's attention. (cough) "Who is going to take the first break?" If only I can get Kuga to focus on me instead of her friend…

"I have an idea," Reito surprises everyone, except Shizuru, by opening his mouth again, "Why don't I flip a coin, and you two can guess heads or tails?" Reito flashes his 'I know better than you do' smile, and immediately gets the approval from Takeda.

Shizuru sneaks a quick wink at Reito without Natsuki and Takeda noticing. "I'll take heads." Who would have guessed that I handed Reito-san a trick coin that has heads on both sides before we came to the pool hall? Certainly not that idiot, Takeda. You want to play games with me, boy? You don't know who you're up against.

Reito flips the coin in the air, and catches it on the back of his hand with a strong slap. Takeda looks at Reito's hands intently. Please let it be tails. I want to show Kuga what a strong break I can do. She will be so impressed by my skills. After Reito lifts up his hand, Takeda can only sulk in his little corner. Reito looks over at Takeda sympathetically. Takeda-kun, you are an okay guy. It's too bad that you have to go after Shizuru-san's woman. I fear for your life.

"Ara, I guess luck is on my side after all." Shizuru feigns surprise and puts her hand up close to her cheek in her favorite position. Natsuki, I hope you'll pay close attention to this game. This is how much I love you.

The chestnut haired woman places the cue ball close to the side rail and leans down slowly on the pool table. Her tight-fitted white V-neck gives Natsuki, who is standing on the opposite side of the table, a view of her titillating cleavage that becomes more visible the more she bends down.

Natsuki, who was in Shizuru's arms in the previous game and did not actually see the way Shizuru plays pool, was not expecting the sight in front of her. Shizuru, BAKA. What if there are sleazy men standing behind me? I don't want them to see you looking like this …Why do you look so …Ahhhhh I don't know what's wrong with me! Even though her face is as red as a ripe tomato, Natsuki finds it impossible to tear her eyes away from the sight of her friend making a shot on the pool table.

(ping) The cue balls makes a firm contact with the rest of the balls on the table, and all the balls begin to scramble wildly in all directions. In the end, one solid ball and one striped ball fall into different pockets. Shizuru takes a quick glance at all the ball placements and starts making rapid shots at all the solid balls. Shoot, get up, move, bend down, shoot, get up … There were no pauses in between each movement. As soon as Shizuru makes a shot, she already knows where the cue ball is going to end up and what target ball to hit next. Within 10 seconds after the initial break, Shizuru has already mapped out how the game is going to turn out.

To Natsuki, everything is happening like a blur. Is she playing pool or is she …dancing? How can she make this game look so easy? Thinking back to all her embarrassing shots in the previous game, Natsuki can only marvel at Shizuru's brilliance. An hour ago, I thought this game was for old men and teenage boys, now it just seems like it's perfectly natural for Shizuru to own this game.

In the blink of an eye, only the 8 ball is left on the table for Shizuru to hit. After the coin toss, Takeda has been standing silently on the side. Only his white knuckles and tight fists are betraying the storm corroding his mind. Consumed by his fury, Takeda changes the way he holds the cue stick and raises it up above his head like a kendo stick. Shizuru, who is bent down on the table, ready to finish the game, naturally cannot detect the movement behind her back.

"SHIZURU, LOOK OUT!"

TBC.