And I'm back with another Chapter! Haha! I'm so proud on being fast! Thanks to the boredom!
I would just like to thank my very first reviewer Ire! Thanks also for your advice although my cousin didn't made any move on that. Haha! Let her be! Thanks again for your concern!
Okay! Disclaimer! I don't own Prince of Tennis!
Shishido lazily watched the director be on fire. He can't blame him though for the director tried his best to convince him to do this commercial shooting thing. Shishido was dragged into this after losing a bet with Atobe and Oshitari. The consequence was to do a commercial the said director had been offering, the weirdest commercial one can ever watch.
Shishido shook his head side by side. He shouldn't have joined the stupid bet. He should have known how the two can be so tricky when it comes to bets and he should have been much smarter to reject the commercial offer. Indulging himself in his blueberry juice, he felt the heat the director was emitting grew nearer. And in an instant, the said man, together with their assistant director, was standing in front of him and looking at him in pleading eyes.
He knew what they were into. They were going to convince him to do the parts, again. And if he's in the right mind right now, there was no way he'll ran like a crazy chicken to catch a duck in front of the overgrown crowd. The director must be very lucky he was not in the right mind. Ignoring the pleading of the loud mouthed director, he walked away and shrugged. Without any choice, he agreed to their plea, since there was no other way out of that mess anyway.
"Fine I'll do it." He stopped dead in his tracks and looked up, only to be met by a pair of purple doe eyes staring at him in awe. It wasn't the first time a girl looked at him like this, looking at him like he was an angel sent from heaven. But there was something strange in how she does it. And it made him feel strange as well, a feeling he never felt for a long time now. Shishido shifted his gaze and walked away. He just can't take the feeling of being stared at like that. Being stared at when you don't know what she was thinking of you. And there was only one person before who could do that to him.
At the corner of his eyes, he saw the assistant director talked to the said girl. He raised an eyebrow when she rejected to give back their prop, which was the duck. He saw it all, how the girl protected the duck as if a life depended on it, which was true, how they had to use force just to get the prop back, and how she cried after the duck was taken away. Shishido moved his attention to the girl near him. She was laughing hard. Perhaps it was because of the embarrassing scene the other girl was making. Then he looked around, there was not just one girl laughing but almost more than hundreds. That was when he made the move, a move he knew if he'll reject in the future or not.
"Mr. Koike." The assistant director immediately looked at him, the creature the girl was crying for in his arms.
"Yes Shishido-san?"
"Do we still need that after the shoot?" Mr. Koike eyed the duck in his arms before answering, totally confused on Shishido's random question.
"No." was all Shishido needed as an answer. After receiving the response, he slowly approached the girl crying and sitting on the ground without a care in the world. Making him earn a lot of gasps and curses. But he ignored it all.
"Hey." He made it just loud for the girl to hear his voice, and he didn't fail. The girl slowly raised her head to see the intruder of her misery and was surprised to see who it was, but did not show it. She just continued staring at him with those large purple eyes as she hiccupped and controlled her sobs.
"Clean your face or else I won't tell you the good news." Being a good girl, she immediately obeyed what he had said just like a child. Using her hands to wipe the tears on her face then smiling after. He smiled inwardly at how childlike she could be.
"Do you see that duck?" he used his thumb to point at his back, towards the assistant director's location, his gaze never leaving her. Receiving a nod in response, he continued.
"Good. I'll give that to you. But in one condition, you'll have to let us finish with it first." Happiness was evident on her eyes after his statement. And he was glad she was easy to talk to. He was about to smile when the girl's face suddenly fell gloomy.
"You guys are not gonna kill it, are you?" He could only giggle at this but still responded. The crowd could only gasp but in that moment in time, the two young beings seemed to be drowned in their own conversation that they didn't even take note of it.
"No." His eyes were showing the assurance the girl needed. And that was enough for her to trust on their agreement and give her the brightest smile she could give. And he knew that he made the right choice of helping.
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"AND CUT!" the director finally said. Shishido sighed out loud. At last it was done! He looked at his watch; it was already 10 in the evening. He never thought doing a three minute commercial will take them seven hours or so. Blame it all to the duck that couldn't be catch. If only the girl doesn't need it, he'll probably roast it for giving him such headaches. Speaking of the girl, he wondered where she was.
Looking around, he spotted her enjoying herself at a swing on the near playground; Looks like she was still not aware that they were done.
"I wonder what we'll do to this."
"Let's cook it! Haha! I bet that would suit our job well done this day!"
"I don't think you guys wouldn't be glad if people would plan on eating you right in front of you right?" he smirked as he saw their staff shiver at this. He motioned for one of them to bring the animal to him and they quickly obeyed, afraid to receive more than what his words could give.
Gently taking the duck, he glared at them one last time before getting them ran in full speed. He often wondered how hard and cold his glares are. It wasn't his plan to scare them off but, he just couldn't help it. Glaring had been his hobby, what a nice hobby huh.
Shishido calmly walked towards the playground, ready to give the duck to its well deserved owner. He saw her stood abruptly when she noticed his presence.
"Here. Were done with it." The girl took it from him in delight, earning her curiosity from him. She had been yearning for the duck the whole time around but none of them knew why.
"Do you mind f I ask you something?" Looking at her pat the head of the duck and lull it like it was a baby.
"Sure!" She said not even looking at him. He first looked at his surroundings. There was a high possibility that she might laugh at him or even to not answer his question, but he still tried. It was him who saved the duck anyway, so he had a right to know.
"Why do you need it so badly?" The girl froze on her spot and it raised his curiosity even more. He was right after all; it wasn't just for a random cause that she'll cry over an animal because of the creature in her arms.
He watched every move she made, observing her as if he can read her moves and be able to know the reasons behind her acts. He saw her felt uncomfortable under his gaze but still he continued doing so.
"Do you really want to know?"
"Do you think I'd ask if I don't want to?" Was his sarcastic answer. Yes he could be sarcastic sometimes, and he rejected it now after seeing her flush in front of him, completely embarrassed. Ok now he was unsure she'll give her an answer.
"You don't have to tell-"
"I'll tell you but you have to promise not to laugh." Surprised at the sudden change of tone and look she gave him, he could only nod and promise as well. She was dead serious. Where was the childish/ childlike girl before?
The girl gave out a loud sigh before continuing.
"This duck." She put it in front of his face for emphasis then put it down again. "Is the only creature that could cure my Granny."
.
.
.
.
.
.
"I know! I know its crazy as hell! I didn't believe it as well but… if that's the only way to save her from death what else can I do?" She couldn't stop the warm liquid from her eyes and let it fell before laughing at herself. Shishido on the other hand didn't know how to take the situation; he'll probably be laughing his heart out if it came from one of his team mates or some other person. But it's different right now. It was a really weird and probably unbelievable answer she got there but, somehow, all he could do was believe her. And probably the right word was… pity. He pitied her, even though it was the most unbelievable, extraordinary, weirdest, and most confusing answer he ever heard in his entire life. Guess you could say he's crazy as her.
"Well, looks like I have to go now. I still have a Granny to save!" Seeing that he was looking at her more then usual, she broke the silence between them. She softly laughed before bowing then gave him one last bright smile before turning to leave. She would surely never forget this man. The only man who had showed her the kindness she never thought she would receive from this place. The very first man that attracted her long closed heart. And the very first man she fell in love with. If that's even love she got there in her. Oh well, too bad she doesn't deserve in his civilized and modern world.
"Are you sure you're going back to your village at this time of the night?" looking back, she saw his face filled with confusion. Sure she's going home. What does he expect? Her hanging around when in any time now her Granny could die? She doesn't think so.
She gave her a look, a look he quickly understood. Looking at his watch, he knew he still had a lot of time. He got the whole night. And with that, he made his way to his car and opened the passenger seat. Now it was the time for her to be confused.
"Come on! We don't have much time!" he said irritatingly making the girl flinch and briskly walked towards the car. She eyed him for a second; earning her a growl and gentle push to the car. Guess she already passed the limit of his patience. She can't blame him; the man was working for so many hell hours! He's probably too tired to handle her childlike moves.
Going around the car and seating at the driver's seat, he saw her sat uncomfortably. Who wouldn't if some stranger just pushed you inside a car without even asking if it was alright to take you home? But who would if it was someone as hot as Shishido?
"Shishido Ryou." Just when he was about to turn the engine on, he offered his hand. The girl stared at him; no one could explain the confusion on her face. She had faced so many confusing acts for this day. She stayed silent while the man in front of her just held out his hand.
"I said my name is Shishido Ryou." Understanding his indirect but obviously direct way of introducing himself, she took his hand and did the same.
"Ai Minagawa." She introduced herself with a smile and he just looked at something in the air as if he just realized something in it.
They stayed like that for a while, Shishido still holding and in a daze and her staring at him. That time gave her the moment to study his features more. If only she couldn't feel his soft hand, she might have thought he was just a painting made by some perfectionist artist, for he was just explicitly perfect in every angle. Moving her eyes from the tip of his top most hair towards his lips she knew he was far more than perfect. His lips, she wondered and tilting her head to the side, were they as soft and sweet as marshmallows?
"Ai means Love, right?"
"Huh?" was the only word she could utter. She was too much drowned in her own thoughts; she didn't notice he was already looking at her. Crap! Did he saw her looking at his lips? What if he did and might think she's a pervert or a stupid fan girl pretending to be an innocent country girl? She can't be caught! She was innocent! She promised!
"You're name means love." Sighing in relief when she heard this, she knew he didn't catch her.
"Yes." As if receiving the only answer he needed, he sat back up and let go of her hand. Ai, on the other hand, felt a sudden surge of unknown emotion on her chest. Was that… disappointment? She shook her head no.
"Should we get going then… Ai?" And Shishido turn on the engine and made the car go.
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"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" hitting the steering wheel with his hands, Shishido again tried to turn on the engine. But the car could only make a sound which was very unpleasant to the ears but wouldn't completely turn on.
"Come on! Come on!" hoping it would pity him and at last cooperate, he tried again and again. He even lost count on how many times he'd been doing that process.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!"
Ai could only make few glances on the boy inside the yellow car. She knew that Shishido was now on his limit and one wrong move she made would make the guy go wild. They had been there for quite some time now. The stupid-metal-thingy-with-wheels-that-only-knew-how-to-stop-and-go, as Shishido called it, just stopped on its own, leading them to their current situation.
"Shishido-san."
"WHAT?" Ai flinched at the sudden terror his voice brought. How she predicted that would come? It was the complete opposite of the guy she knew that morning. Anyhow, she wouldn't be scared of it for somehow, she knew the boy meant no harm.
"M-maybe you could rest for a while. Our village is not far away now." But a few curses were all she could get in response. She could only sigh; she knew the guy wasn't listening. Slightly tilting her head to the said, she was surprised when the silent cursing and the noise the car emitted stopped. Perhaps, Shishido finally gave up.
As she leaned down to take a peek on the car window, she saw the boy did stopped his attempt to make the car go and was now only sitting with his head leaned against the back of the driver's seat, his face priceless, totally defeated. As if he just discovered he was the dumbest person on earth. She looked at him, and he responded quickly at her confused stare.
"I should have known."
Should have known what? Was all she could think of.
And the second chapter is done. Longer than the last time. Nyahaha! Please review! Please! T.T
