CHAPTER FIVE

Akashi turned his cold gaze on her, and red eyes stared into blue for quite a long time, then suddenly - and at the same time - both of them turned away from each other and rubbed their eyes.

"Ouuuuch." The boy murmured very softly.

"My eyes..." She whispered too.

Gawd.

He coughed. "I didn't lose, you know. I never lose."

She rolled her eyes at that stupid statement. "I didn't lose either. I just didn't want to look at your ugly face a second longer."

Both huffed and walked towards the table the basketball guys were sitting at.

They sat down, emitting murderous auras. Kiku's eyes were glittering with annoyance, cold and unflinching as she stared at all the members in turn.

"U-um..." Kotarou stuttered.

"Well, isn't this awkward. I suggest we try to open up the conversation." Reo whispered to the other three.

Eikichi nodded. "Hmph, so... Um, what subjects did you have today, Akashi?" He choked out in a vain attempt to sound casual.

He turned to face the slightly quivering muscled gorilla. "Many."

Kotarou snorted a little, despite the tense atmosphere. What a 'clever' answer to just a normal question. Akashi was just such a show-off.

But that snort seemed to clear the air a little.

"Jeez, Akashi. Eikichi asked what subjects you have." Kiku sighed. "Don't bother with those stupid smart retorts when the time isn't right."

Akashi looked up, and once again their gazes locked, but this time only for a split second before they both looked away. "Don't talk back to me, Tajima. Only those who serve are allowed to look me in the eye. I will destroy everything in my path to victory, everyone who opposes me."

Way to go there, redhead, just as the atmosphere was relaxing.

She laughed, the sound humourless. "Did you forget who you were talking to? Please stop with all that nonsense, it's driving me mad. Besides," One side of Kiku's mouth tilted up in her usual crooked smirk. "I don't think you can beat me just yet."

"Oh?" He retorted silkily. "I can and I will."

They glared at each other for a while longer before both leaving the table to go to their next class early. The other four finally let out a breath.

"Whew." Kotarou sighed in relief. "Scary~!" He slumped down in his chair.

"Kotarou. Please sit with your back straight." Reo shook his head. "You never learn, do you?"

He pouted. "I'm too 'mentally tired' though, Reo-nee~"

Reo nodded reluctantly and they both went silent. Eikichi was still stuffing food into his mouth and constantly making slurping noises that the feminine boy frowned at. Finally he couldn't stand it anymore.

"Eikichi! Please refrain from making such awful-"

"BBBUUUUUURRRRPP." He let out a huge burp and Reo winced. "Woah, that was my longest one so far! 11 seconds!"

"Eikichi!" He exclaimed.

Kiku stifled a huge yawn as she spread her paperwork (that her grandfather gave her to do, because it was apparently 'good practice') out and found a page that she accidentally left out.

"Oh great." She muttered to herself. "Just when I thought I'd finished too..."

You might think, that must be so tiring, and yes it is, but this girl is so used to it by now that she was rarely indifferent to spending a night studying. It was boring, and dull, but she had to do it. There was no choice, because she was the only successor to the Tajima company and she had to be the best of the best.

The girl rubbed her eyes and lay her head down on the cool marble desk, having finished the last of the (evil) paperwork. But she couldn't rest yet. Kiku had some more Latin stuff to do...

...

Her eyelids flitted open to see the golden morning light streaking in from the gaps in the curtains. She cursed under her breath as she stretched quickly. Kiku didn't mean to fall asleep...and not on her desk, either.

This happened pretty regularly, in fact, so regularly that her bed was rarely slept in. She was either working through the whole night or falling asleep on her desk.

"Damn it." She cursed again. Unfortunately, not very lady-like for a girl who is supposed to be 'dignified, prideful, elegant and graceful'. Again, her grandfather's words.

She got ready in no time and dashed out, grabbing some random food on the way. She had to set things up for pool training today, which is most likely going to take a longer time than usual, since she didn't really know where everything was in this school.

Kiku arrived at the school's ginormous swimming pool, filled with the splashes and yells from the Rakuzan swim team. She watched for little at their teamwork and relay practices. Sometimes, she wished that the GoM worked together more.

"Excuse me." She called to a guy from the swim team resting on the side. "I'm the coach for the basketball team, and I was wondering if you could me where everything is and how things work here, because I'm still new."

He grinned at her, slightly startled but polite nonetheless. "Yeah!"

Kiku was shown to the training pool, where they would train, and the BER1 (Basketball Equipment Room 1), where everything was kept. She quickly thanked the upperclassman and he left to resume training. The girl hastily got out a huge floaty mat thing and secured it in the middle of the pool, then went to get changed.

When Kiku got back, everyone was already ready.

"Aww..." Kotaro pouted. "I thought... I thought girls wear bikinis!"

Well, some people are obviously disappointed... She was wearing a very boring black one-piece, with a pair of waterproof shorts and a rash vest over the top.

Reo tutted too. "You should have a better fashion sense, being a very pretty lady."

She rolled her eyes. "We're training here, not having a fashion show. Now, as you see, I have set up your morning training session. Please warm up and stretch before I explain everything."

After about 10 minutes, Kiku gathered everyone around again. "This time I have planned a game instead of what we would usually do. You'll be split into two teams, and stand on the floaty mat, and you have to try and push the other team off. This is for strength, stamina and balance skills. Okay, Kotaro, Akashi and Reo as team one, Chihiro, Eikichi and I will be the second team."

Little did they know, this will also actually prepare them for something later on in the year.

Still slightly confused as they were, they got into positions and were ready to run on the unstable passage to the floaty mat. Kiku blew the whistle and the first competitors, Reo and Chihiro ran on.

"Phew, she pushed us so hard even in a game like that!" Kotaro wheezed in the changing room.

Reo sighed too. "Eikichi obviously had the advantage in that competition."

Said male grinned and flexed his muscles. "Muscle WRESTLING! WOOOOO!"

"Please be quiet." Akashi sent a glare their way and all three shut up. Chihiro was just standing and quietly changing in a corner, ignoring everyone's conversation as usual.

"Eikichi, do you always have to add a muscle before everything?" Reo whispered after a while.

"Yup."

Meanwhile Kiku had already finished changing and was heading to homeroom a bit early. She sat down at a spare spot in the middle next to a random girl with brown hair.

"Hi!" She grinned at Kiku. "I'm Izumi! Arai Izumi! Nice to meet you."

She nodded back. "Tajima Kiku."

"Woah, aren't you that girl who coaches First String basketball? You are amazing!" Izumi squealed.

"I guess." She replied, cold as usual.

The girl pouted. "Heyyy, don't be so cold, I want to be friends!"

Friends? Really now... I haven't heard that in years.

Sorry for the short (yet again) chapter, and the late update... T.T I was so busy with school and especially all the French... Je suis désolé. Anyways it's almost the holidays so maybe expect more updates...? I dunno.