READ THIS FIRST.
I'M SO SORRY! I know this is such a big break that I'm taking but this fic's always been on my mind and now that I've finished reading Hana-Kimi, there has been newfound inspiration for fic-writing! Thank you all for bearing with me.

4: Meiga

I have to admit I wasn't prepared for Erin-san's first option to me – she wanted me to give up my career and enter the winter prep term.

I told her I couldn't do it. She seemed to have expected that.

Then she suggested another way around it – taking the season off (after all, it wasn't called 'off-season' for nothing) to perform a stakeout at Meiga University. She didn't want to betray her daughter too much, but she (Erin-san) did want to help me get her back.

That I could at least comply with.

So here I am, lurking outside Meiga University's Social Studies faculty. I have to say that honestly, I've never been an impatient person. My forte is waiting. (And sleeping.)

I pace around the main gate – it's not that I'm not allowed to go in, I am – contemplating whether to just enter and trying to catch Toki.

I stop for a moment and look at my watch. It's mid-June already. It's supposed to rain anytime, but I don't remember it raining heavily the last few weeks. Automatically I look up at the sky. No, it's not dark yet.

Damn it. Since when am I concerned about the weather? Don't I have anything better to do?

Finally I plop myself on a bench and stare at the lamppost opposite me, thinking about Toki.

I had moved back to her apartment in summer last year after my five month stint with my dad. She had graduated from Ryonan High School into Meiga University in a few months before that, but had applied for a one-year deferment immediately after.

What else.

I had just finished drawing one of my series and she had just begun on another.

Rubbing my neck, I think about why she took the deferment. The bi-annual International Arts Festival is coming up this year, so she took time off from last year to begin on her 'greatest work ever'. Besides that was her manga career that was really taking off after she published her first serious work on her own.

x

"Okay, make sentences," Toki jabbed at a row of words she hard written on a piece of paper. We were preparing for my entrance exams that were two months away (and which I eventually did not take).

I spun my pencil with my fingers as I zeroed in on a word that was new to me. "What's this," I pointed.

"'In-e-vi-ta-ble'."

I stared at her.

"It means you cannot stop something from happening," she replied, understanding my look.

I thought for awhile and said the first thing that came to mind, "'It was inevitable that Toki failed her Math test.'"

She looked as if she didn't know whether to laugh or hit me, so she did both.

"Oi," I complained, pushing her rolled-up exercise book away from my head.

"You don't have to so truthful," she grumbled with traces of a smile on her face, "but at least I see my efforts paying off. It's worth coaching you!"

She offered me a grin. Inevitably, I didn't grin back. Anyway she didn't expect me to.

"You know I told you that I'm deferring university because of my new series and my competition entry, right?" she suddenly said.

I gave her a nod.

"Well, I'm glad that besides concentrating on these two things, I get to help you with your studies. Ah," she smiled sheepishly and rubbed her head, "I sound like a mother who's been a workaholic and has finally quit her job to be with her kid!"

I felt my lips turn upward ever so slightly.

Motivated, I looked at the list in front of me and chose a word. I then said in English, "'My friend works in a publishing accompany.'"

"Oh dear, I'd better take back what I said about my efforts paying off…" her shoulders drooped as she drilled me on what 'accompany' really meant.

x

Honestly, I never thought Toki would take me disappointing her so seriously.

I am such a bastard.

"Rukawa-kun?" A voice, albeit with a tinge of amazement and shock, breaks me out of my reverie.

Who calls me that…? I wonder, turning around.

"Akagi," I pronounce, slightly surprised. I didn't know she attended Meiga. She was our manageress after Ayako-san graduated. I've never been acquainted with her very much before our third-year, but after she got together with Sakuragi it seemed as if she talked to me more.

She claps her hands and exclaims, "It's so good to see you! What are you doing here? Do you go here?"

"No," I say, flat-toned.

"You look like you're waiting for somebody," she smiles good-naturedly and sits beside me on the bench. "I'm waiting for Hanamichi."

I think it's only polite to give some form of reply. "Hn."

There's silence for awhile. I believe that Akagi is somewhat at a loss because she doesn't know what to say to me.

"Ah, you're playing basketball full-time now, right? I saw you on TV."

I nod.

"I really thought you would go to university, you know…" she muses and sits back on the bench. "You seemed to be such a good student in our third-year. We all noticed that you slept less!" she giggles.

I have no idea they noticed. Even I didn't notice.

"Do you know that one day," she continues, "Kayama-sensei stopped me in the hallway and said seriously, 'You're the basketball club's manageress right?'"

I think for a moment. I think Kayama-sensei was my Chemistry teacher.

"I really thought one of our players had gotten into trouble! But he then said, 'You and your coach are doing an amazing job. All the third-year boys on your team aren't neglecting their exams, I can see. It's such a difference from last year!'" she laughs and blushes a little. "I felt so, so proud of all of you."

I nod and say, "Thanks."

I really mean it, and I'm surprised that I do.

She beams at me. "No, don't mention it!"

An idea strikes me.

"Aa, Akagi."

"Yes, Rukawa-kun?"

"What's your major?"

"Education and culture, why?" she raises her eyebrows and cocks her head.

"Hn. Nothing."

Pity.

"I'm doing a minor in Journalism though. Are you interested in taking some courses or something?" She bends forward to look at me.

I think that my waiting is paying off. A burning sensation rises up from my stomach and explodes all over my chest – what on earth is this? My heart beats faster in anticipation.

"Journalism. You know anyone from that department?"

She nods vehemently. "Of course! They're very friendly. And it's a big department so they're everywhere. My roommate–"

"HARUKO-CHAN–!" interrupts someone. "I'm here–!"

"Ah! Hello!" Akagi waves cheerfully.

I know that voice. The bearer of that voice walks up to us and finally is able to see past his girlfriend.

"Eh! Kitsune?" The idiot's eyes almost pops out of his head. "What are you trying to do with Haruko!" he points an accusatory finger at me

"Ch. Do'ahou," I mutter from my perch on the bench. There is at least thirty centimeters between Akagi and I.

"Ah, Hanamichi, we were just chatting…" Haruko gives me an embarrassed smile. "I just met Rukawa-kun over here."

His mouth shapes into an 'O' in realization. "Hey, Kitsune, you playing basketball at Meiga today?" He peers at me.

I stuff my hands into my pockets and shrug. "I'm on a break."

Sakuragi throws back his head and laughs. "So you're not playing basketball for now? I bet they kicked you out, nyahahaha!"

I am not amused.

"Ah, Hanamichi, that's not a very nice thing to say!" Akagi is flustered and gives me an apologetic look. I shrug to tell her I'm fine.

"Nice meeting you," I nod to Akagi and purposely ignore the dunce. I decide to give up my stakeout for today and turn to leave.

"Oi, Kitsune!"

I stop and turn around.

"Will you be here tomorrow?"

I shrug. I probably will.

"I want to challenge you!" There's a gleam in Sakuragi's eye.

"…." (I don't know what to say. It's too sudden.)

"Then, I want to eat ice-cream, so you give me a treat."

"……."

"No matter who wins, you have to give me a treat," Sakuragi strides over to meet me eye-to-eye. "Oh, and Haruko too."

"Hanamichi…" Akagi visibly wilts in embarrassment.

I stare at him for a moment.

"Do'ahou," I offer.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT YOU STUPID FOX! I AM THE GENIUS BASKETMAN–"

"Tomorrow then."

He shuts up, and I turn around and leave. I believe that he is silent because he can't believe that I agreed and he's currently staring at my retreating back like the world-class dunce that he is.

I contemplate if I want to put up my hand to say bye or not.

Maybe next time.