"Ne?" Noriko peered at Hanasen.
"Eh, nani ka?" (what is it?) Hanasen looked at her surprised.
Noriko looked at her friend and smirked. She sure was up to something alright.
"If I remember right, didn't you just tell me on the phone yesterday that you had something important to tell me?"
"Eh...anou...ettooo..." Hanasen stuttered for a reply.
"Oi! Oi! What is it then?" Noriko poked her friend's shoulder.
"Anou..betsuni..." (nothing) she chuckled.
"Usso!" (Liar)
"Usso janai!" (it's the truth!) Hanasen retorted.
"Then why have you been acting strange the whole day?" Noriko demanded.
"Was I really?"
Noriko rolled her eyes and pushed her friend a bit to the side in frustration.
"Sometimes I wonder if you're so dense or worse. Your defenses are terrible." Noriko scolded.
"Well, I don't know...I mean, what you would think of it...I don't know if you would..."
"You talk funny...let's walk faster." Noriko pulled her friend.
"Where are we going?"
"To give you my fullest attention."
They walked to the school's empty soccer field and sat by a bench under a tree.
"Okay, spill it!"
"Now?"
"Will you stop fidgeting! I'm giving you my fullest attention. We're not getting out of here until you tell me what it is."
"You promise you won't laugh." Hanasen pointed at her.
"I promise." Noriko nodded.
"Even if your entire L'arc en Ciel collection would burn up in flames?"
"I don't like the sound of this.." Noriko frowned.
"You promise!" Hanasen squeezed Noriko by the shoulders.
"Okay! I swear! I promise! Oww" But Noriko cringed. It wasn't the way Hanasen squeezed her shoulders so tightly rather at the thought of having her entire L'arc collection burst in flames.
"Okay. Now here goes..." Hanasen released her. She inhaled deeply.
Noriko sat and massaged her shoulder while looking at her.
"Yesterday morning, I was doing my usual errand and I got a bit distracted with something that I went around walking around the neighborhood further than I intended. Then I remembered I ought to buy a newspaper."
"And you read something strange in the newspaper?" Noriko asked.
"No. That's not it! The guy at the newsstand.."
"The guy at the newsstand looked strange?"
"Will you stop interrupting? I'm building a mood here!" Hanasen stomped her foot.
"Okay! Okay!" Noriko waved her hand.
"He recognized me as a student of Shohoku and said he had a nephew who also studied there."
"Yeah...and that kid of his is strange?" Noriko raised an eyebrow.
"NORIKO!!!!! THAT'S NOT IT!!!!!" Hanasen looked at her incredulously.
"Then what is it?"
"He's Noma's uncle."
"Who's Noma?"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DON'T KNOW HIM!" Hanasen was in shock.
"Is he a basketball player? Is he an A-student? Does he know Rukawa? More importantly, is he cute?" Noriko was excited and tugged on Hanasen's arm.
"He's not." Hanasen hung her head. Of course, she didn't know him. He's one of Sakuragi's closest buddies.
"Not cute?" Noriko gawked at her.
"None of the above. BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Hanasen covered her face in frustration. The impulse to throttle her interrupting friend was growing by the second.
"But yes, he knows Rukawa." Hanasen rolled her eyes. She knew she was going to regret saying that in a few moments.
She wasn't wrong. Noriko squealed instantly.
"WAAAAAAAIIIII!!!!!!" Noriko gave her a tight squeeze and kissed her on the cheek repeatedly.
Hanasen pouted. This was definitely going to take some time before Noriko let go of her. Oh why did she have to say that? Why the heck she even brought it up? She didn't even bother to ask if Noma even liked Rukawa? But looking at Noriko going bonkers. She swallowed. She would be devastated. Easy.
"I can't believe how lucky you are! It's Rukawa! He knows Rukawa! RUKAWA- KUN!!!! BABY!! BABY!!!" Noriko shook and hugged her again. Hanasen cringed when she said 'Baby'. Oh God.
After what felt like an eternity, Noriko released her. But she was still blushing furiously. She still clutched her arm and leaned on her shoulder. She doesn't recover easily if it had anything to do with Rukawa. Her eyes transfixed to the sky. Star-struck. Bubbly-eyed. Hanasen just wished Noriko didn't drool on her sleeve.
"So can we go back to ME now?" Hanasen peered at her.
Noriko beamed. Adjusted herself on her seat. Her face so close to Hanasen.
"Oh yes, please! Oh, God! He knows Rukawa." She giggled excitedly.
Hanasen pushed her away gently and stood up.
"You're not listening."
"I AM!!!"
"No you're not! You still have that ridiculous smile on your face." She pointed.
"No. okay." Noriko wiped her mouth in an attempt to erase it. Of course, that's ridiculous but she did it anyway. She even fixed her hair slightly and assumed another seated position. She is looking serious. Attentive.
"I'm all ears." Noriko bit her lip.
Hanasen sat beside her again.
"No wait!" Noriko cut in just before Hanasen was about to start.
"What?" Hanasen frowned.
"Anou...what does Noma have to do with what happened yesterday?"
"It's not Noma. It's his uncle. We had a chat. That is all." Hanasen felt her heart beat wildly. She couldn't admit they had a chat about Sakuragi that day. Not yet. Don't spoil it.
"Did he mention Rukawa?"
"No." Oh man, not again!
"But why?"
"Why should he?"
"But you said Noma knows him."
"Did I say they were friends? I just said he knows him."
"So they're not?"
"OF COURSE NOT!"
"But..."
"Noriko?"
"Hai?"
"I thought you're gonna listen to me."
"I'm listening."
"Can I start now?"
"Hai."
*********
AUTHOR NOTES:
I'm back from a SLUMP DUNK. I'm writing this with the SD OP theme blaring in my ears now. Hehehe...inspiration...inspiration..on to the next chappie!!!! Gomen ne, to all dear readers who have waited for the update on this fic.
"Eh, nani ka?" (what is it?) Hanasen looked at her surprised.
Noriko looked at her friend and smirked. She sure was up to something alright.
"If I remember right, didn't you just tell me on the phone yesterday that you had something important to tell me?"
"Eh...anou...ettooo..." Hanasen stuttered for a reply.
"Oi! Oi! What is it then?" Noriko poked her friend's shoulder.
"Anou..betsuni..." (nothing) she chuckled.
"Usso!" (Liar)
"Usso janai!" (it's the truth!) Hanasen retorted.
"Then why have you been acting strange the whole day?" Noriko demanded.
"Was I really?"
Noriko rolled her eyes and pushed her friend a bit to the side in frustration.
"Sometimes I wonder if you're so dense or worse. Your defenses are terrible." Noriko scolded.
"Well, I don't know...I mean, what you would think of it...I don't know if you would..."
"You talk funny...let's walk faster." Noriko pulled her friend.
"Where are we going?"
"To give you my fullest attention."
They walked to the school's empty soccer field and sat by a bench under a tree.
"Okay, spill it!"
"Now?"
"Will you stop fidgeting! I'm giving you my fullest attention. We're not getting out of here until you tell me what it is."
"You promise you won't laugh." Hanasen pointed at her.
"I promise." Noriko nodded.
"Even if your entire L'arc en Ciel collection would burn up in flames?"
"I don't like the sound of this.." Noriko frowned.
"You promise!" Hanasen squeezed Noriko by the shoulders.
"Okay! I swear! I promise! Oww" But Noriko cringed. It wasn't the way Hanasen squeezed her shoulders so tightly rather at the thought of having her entire L'arc collection burst in flames.
"Okay. Now here goes..." Hanasen released her. She inhaled deeply.
Noriko sat and massaged her shoulder while looking at her.
"Yesterday morning, I was doing my usual errand and I got a bit distracted with something that I went around walking around the neighborhood further than I intended. Then I remembered I ought to buy a newspaper."
"And you read something strange in the newspaper?" Noriko asked.
"No. That's not it! The guy at the newsstand.."
"The guy at the newsstand looked strange?"
"Will you stop interrupting? I'm building a mood here!" Hanasen stomped her foot.
"Okay! Okay!" Noriko waved her hand.
"He recognized me as a student of Shohoku and said he had a nephew who also studied there."
"Yeah...and that kid of his is strange?" Noriko raised an eyebrow.
"NORIKO!!!!! THAT'S NOT IT!!!!!" Hanasen looked at her incredulously.
"Then what is it?"
"He's Noma's uncle."
"Who's Noma?"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DON'T KNOW HIM!" Hanasen was in shock.
"Is he a basketball player? Is he an A-student? Does he know Rukawa? More importantly, is he cute?" Noriko was excited and tugged on Hanasen's arm.
"He's not." Hanasen hung her head. Of course, she didn't know him. He's one of Sakuragi's closest buddies.
"Not cute?" Noriko gawked at her.
"None of the above. BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Hanasen covered her face in frustration. The impulse to throttle her interrupting friend was growing by the second.
"But yes, he knows Rukawa." Hanasen rolled her eyes. She knew she was going to regret saying that in a few moments.
She wasn't wrong. Noriko squealed instantly.
"WAAAAAAAIIIII!!!!!!" Noriko gave her a tight squeeze and kissed her on the cheek repeatedly.
Hanasen pouted. This was definitely going to take some time before Noriko let go of her. Oh why did she have to say that? Why the heck she even brought it up? She didn't even bother to ask if Noma even liked Rukawa? But looking at Noriko going bonkers. She swallowed. She would be devastated. Easy.
"I can't believe how lucky you are! It's Rukawa! He knows Rukawa! RUKAWA- KUN!!!! BABY!! BABY!!!" Noriko shook and hugged her again. Hanasen cringed when she said 'Baby'. Oh God.
After what felt like an eternity, Noriko released her. But she was still blushing furiously. She still clutched her arm and leaned on her shoulder. She doesn't recover easily if it had anything to do with Rukawa. Her eyes transfixed to the sky. Star-struck. Bubbly-eyed. Hanasen just wished Noriko didn't drool on her sleeve.
"So can we go back to ME now?" Hanasen peered at her.
Noriko beamed. Adjusted herself on her seat. Her face so close to Hanasen.
"Oh yes, please! Oh, God! He knows Rukawa." She giggled excitedly.
Hanasen pushed her away gently and stood up.
"You're not listening."
"I AM!!!"
"No you're not! You still have that ridiculous smile on your face." She pointed.
"No. okay." Noriko wiped her mouth in an attempt to erase it. Of course, that's ridiculous but she did it anyway. She even fixed her hair slightly and assumed another seated position. She is looking serious. Attentive.
"I'm all ears." Noriko bit her lip.
Hanasen sat beside her again.
"No wait!" Noriko cut in just before Hanasen was about to start.
"What?" Hanasen frowned.
"Anou...what does Noma have to do with what happened yesterday?"
"It's not Noma. It's his uncle. We had a chat. That is all." Hanasen felt her heart beat wildly. She couldn't admit they had a chat about Sakuragi that day. Not yet. Don't spoil it.
"Did he mention Rukawa?"
"No." Oh man, not again!
"But why?"
"Why should he?"
"But you said Noma knows him."
"Did I say they were friends? I just said he knows him."
"So they're not?"
"OF COURSE NOT!"
"But..."
"Noriko?"
"Hai?"
"I thought you're gonna listen to me."
"I'm listening."
"Can I start now?"
"Hai."
*********
AUTHOR NOTES:
I'm back from a SLUMP DUNK. I'm writing this with the SD OP theme blaring in my ears now. Hehehe...inspiration...inspiration..on to the next chappie!!!! Gomen ne, to all dear readers who have waited for the update on this fic.