Author's note: Sorry for the long delay on the update. To make it up to you, I'll have chapter six up very very shortly. Thank you to all of those who have left reviews, and a special thanks to my beta. Without him, this story would not be where it is today. Hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 5: Better than Expected.
Kagami stood in the center of her room and let out a massive sigh of relief. She had just vented her past weeks frustrations to the one person she could trust. To get it all off her chest felt amazing, and though the other person hadn't even replied yet, she was happy she'd finally let it all spill out. Just hearing herself say it out loud had helped give her some clarity on her emotions.
Sitting on the edge of Kagami's bed, Tsukasa bounced happily, a large smile on her face. "This is so exciting! So you really like her huh?"
"I- Well- I don't- I- I guess so," Kagami stammered in reply. This was all completely new territory for her. She'd never had feelings for some one like this before, and Kagami couldn't help but feel completely out of her element. "How'd you know you liked Miyuki?" she asked quietly.
Tsukasa furrowed her brow in thought. "Hmmm, well I'd always get this warm fuzzy feeling when I was around her. You know, like you just can't stop smiling. And when she asked me out, I just remember being super excited."
With a small moment of silence, Kagami pondered her sister's answer. The feeling she'd described was a relatively familiar one, the other day at the theme park providing several experiences. Recalling a few of those events that very sensation began to come back, and a slight smile made its way across her face.
"So, what are you going to wear to the competition?"
"What's wrong with this?" Kagami pointed to her jean shorts and T-shirt.
Tsukasa scoffed and shook her head. Getting up, she walked over to her sister's closet, opened up the doors, and began rummaging through the contents within. "You have to dress better than that," she scolded, "don't you want to look nice for her?"
That thought honestly hadn't crossed her mind. Of course she wanted to look nice, that was a given, but to actually try and look nice specifically for Misao, Kagami couldn't help but fidget nervously at the thought. She began to think of every outfit she had, trying to remember if Misao had ever specifically complimented any one in particular. Coming up blank, she sadly hadn't the slightest clue what to wear.
"Do you know what her favorite color is?" Tsukasa asked, now engrossed in the contents of Kagami's dresser.
Taking a moment to think, Kagami was pleased that she actually knew the answer. "I know she really likes yellow," she replied confidently.
"Oh! I know!" Tsukasa dashed out of the room and several moments later came rushing back. "Here, try this," she puffed, seemingly out of breath, and holding out a light yellow skirt.
Kagami took the garment from her sister and quickly put it on. She was happy to note that it fit well enough, a nice loose skirt stopping just short of her knees. A second later a white blouse was practically shoved in her face. "You're enjoying this a little too much."
"It's just so exciting," Tsukasa squealed happily. When Kagami was done changing, Tsukasa gave a her a quick once over, tugging at the hem of the form fitting blouse with a very satisfied smile. "Perfect. Now we just need to do your makeup."
"Don't overdo it," Kagami protested.
"Only a little," Tsukasa reassured. Grabbing Kagami's makeup kit she went to work, happily humming a tune to herself. "Just a enough to make your eyes really pop," she said under her breath, a look of utter concentration on her face. A few minutes later, and she clapped her hands together, bouncing up and down joyfully. "All done. Go take a look, and tell me what you think."
Smiling at her sister's excited antics, Kagami walked over to her mirror and took a look at herself. For once, she actually had to admit she was pleased with her appearance. She looked nice, but not like she was trying too hard either. "Wow, thanks Tsukasa. I really appreciate this."
"Of course! It's nice to be able to help YOU out for once. Now shouldn't you be going? You don't want to be late," Tsukasa said while lightly pushing Kagami towards the door.
"Ok, ok, geez. You're so pushy all the sudden," Kagami huffed, as she made her way down stairs. With a final thank you and farewell to her sister, she took off to the train station at a leisurely pace.
Throughout the train ride, Kagami had been deep in thought. Not having the slightest idea what to expect from this event, she found herself getting increasingly curious as her destination came closer by the minute. She was excited at the prospect of seeing Misao compete, and by the time she made it to her destination, her heart was racing. The very thought of seeing the other girl was making her giddy.
Entering the small stadium, she was surprised at how crowded it was, the place being almost completely full. She pulled out her phone to double check the instructions Misao had sent. Scanning the rows, she quickly found her spot, which was surprisingly close to the front. Approaching the seat, she looked at the occupants of the adjacent seats and instantly recognized Misao's parents and brother.
"Hello Mr. And Mrs. Kusakabe, Sempai," she greeted with a bow.
"Ah Hiiragi, so nice to see you here," Misao's mother exclaimed. "And how many times do I have to tell you, there's no need to be so formal. Please, call me Jun, and my husband Masa. We feel less old that way," she said with a wide smile.
"You can totally keep callin me sempai," Jin laughed.
Kagami gave him an uneasy smile, yesterday's events at the concert still very fresh in her mind. "Wow, it's really crowded," she said while taking her seat.
"Well of course it is. It's the Saitama championship," Mrs. Kusakabe stated in a proud tone. Even though Kagami didn't know much about what was going on, she knew this must be a big deal. Misao had been so nonchalant about it too, like it wasn't even important to her. "It's nice to finally see one of Misao's friends at these things," Jun continued, "she must really like you if she invited you here."
"R-Really?" Kagami asked, her face turning a light shade of red.
"Yea we don't really know what her deal is, but Ayano's the only other friend of hers who's come to one," Jin added.
"Does she usually do well in these competitions?" Kagami asked, wondering if her friend was embarrassed for not performing well.
"Are you kiddin!" Masa exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his seat. "There's nothin better than watchin my little girl go down there and get her murder on," he said, enthusiastically pumping a fist into the air with a very familiar smile on his face.
Rolling her eyes, Misao's mother shook her head. "You'll have to excuse my husband, he gets a little excited about these things. But yes, our little Misao does fairly well for herself."
Looking over to Masa and Jin, Kagami was only able to smile. The two were both radiating excitement, and were animatedly describing what appeared to be one of Misao's previous competitions. And eventhough Jun was the more calm and collected one of the Kusakabe family, it was obvious that she too was excited for the event. Despite being unsure of what to expect, Kagami found herself to be getting as equally amped up as the Kusakabes were, and she was now truly looking forward to watching Misao compete.
Down in the locker room, Misao tightened her belt with a hard yank. Standing up from her bench, she took a deep breath, tugged her blue gi top tight, rolled her shoulders, and bounced lightly on the balls of her feet. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was extremely nervous. It wasn't because of the large crowd crammed into the stadium, or the scrutinizing stare of her sensei, it was because of Kagami; the one person she truly wanted to impress.
Surprisingly, Misao never got herself that worked up for a competition. Not that she wasn't competitive, but for her, this was all just an added bonus to Judo. She trained because she truly enjoyed it. There was only one place where she could clear her mind and focus, test herself both physically and mentally; that was on the mat, and she loved every bit of it.
Looking over to several other of her fellow class mates, she couldn't help but shake her head. They were nervously crowded around a scale, hoping they'd lost enough weight to drop a weight class. Starving yourself before a match is stupid. Just train with some one bigger than you, and you won't have to worry so much, Misao thought while rolling her eyes.
"Alright everyone this it! Let's go!" bellowed Misao's Sensei, as she entered the room.
Following the rest of group out, Misao gave a smile and a bow to her Sensei, the small woman happily returning the gestures. A moment later she found herself standing on a scale, weighing in with the rest of the competitors. Not paying any attention to where she was placed, she took her seat on her dojo's bench, and began to wait.
It wasn't long until she heard her name called. Her Sensei joined her at the mat side, clapping a hand on her back. "Remember, just relax, don't forget to breath, and go with the flow."
"Yes Sensei," Misao replied curtly, adrenaline beginning to pump its way throughout her body.
The small woman next her leaned in close, a mischievous smile fighting to work its way onto her face. "What do you do when they start turning blue?"
"Squeeze harder," Misao replied with a smile.
"Damn straight. Now make us proud," the woman said confidently over her shoulder, while making her way back to their bench.
With one last deep breath, Misao took a look at the large crowd gathered in the stadium. Remembering where her family was supposed to be seated, she went straight to that spot. Her father was easy to find, standing and waving at her like an idiot, but he wasn't who she was looking for. There, sitting next to her mother, was Kagami. Misao felt her face light up with a massive smile, and she started waving enthusiastically, much like her father was. When Kagami returned the smile and wave, she felt a greater sense of vigor course through her.
With a gesture from the referee, she took her spot on the line, facing her opponent. Misao eyed the other girl with a predatory grin. Just like sparring, no big deal, and she's a lot smaller than the boys Sensei makes me train with. The two bowed and took their positions. It's freakin go time. Her grin widened into a Cheshire cat like smile, causing her opponent to raise an eyebrow uneasily.
"Hajime!" the referee shouted.
Misao launched herself at her opponent like she was taking off from the starting block on the track. The poor girl never saw her coming. She grabbed a hold of the girl's uniform just under the armpit, her opposite hand grabbing at the other shoulder. Pulling down on the armpit and pushing at the shoulder, she hooked her leg behind her opponent's. With a quick sweep, the girl toppled to the ground, Misao following her down.
She had to give her opponent credit, the girl did manage to turn to her side before she hit the mat, but it was still too late. Misao snaked an arm around her neck and clamped down like a vice. It wasn't the prettiest pin she'd ever executed, she had hoped to get the girl flat backed, but it was still doing its job. She heard the faint gasps for air, grunts of frustration, felt the flailing of desperate limbs, and tightened her hold.
That was when she heard her queue, the reward of a frantic hand tapping at the mat. Misao held the pin a little longer until the referee gave the signal to stop. Standing up, she flashed a wide grin at her red faced opponent, receiving a frustrated grimace in return. The ref held up Misao's hand, showing the crowd that she was the victor. Under a minute, not a bad start. Keep this up, and I'll have first place in the bag.
And keep it up she certainly did. Misao was on roll, decimating her opponents quickly and efficiently. Only a few matches had gone to decision, the rest had all been submissions. After each match, she would always make sure to give a smile to Kagami, the sight of the other girl fueling her determination to win.
From the stands Kagami watched in utter astonishment. She had never seen Misao like this before. Normally the girl was childish and had a short attention span, but this proved she was capable of so much more. Kagami was impressed with how serious and focused Misao was. Attending some of the school's track meets, she'd watched her compete before, but this was different. She could tell this was something Misao had truly dedicated herself too.
With the end of another round resulting in a victory, Kagami once more received a wide smile from Misao. It was different from any normal 'I win' smile; this was one specifically for her. A moment shared between only the two of them, and each time the feeling of butterflies in her stomach would radiate through her.
"Next one's the big one," she heard Misao's father say. "She wins that, and it's another gold medal."
"Another?" Kagami asked.
"She's got a hell of a collection," Jin added, obviously proud of his little sister. Punching a fist into an open palm, he said, "But damn, I've never seen her crush people like this before."
"Very true, it looks like she's much more enthusiastic about it this time. You should come to these more often. She seems really happy to have you here," Jun said, looking to Kagami with a smile.
"I'd really like that," Kagami answered truthfully. She could honestly say she was having a great time and was glad that she could be here to support Misao.
"Oh! Oh! Here we go! Final match!" Masa exclaimed, pointing to the arena enthusiastically.
Diverting her full attention to the mat, Kagami watched Misao step up the line and bow to the girl in front of her. The ref gave the signal, and Misao launched forward. Her opponent was quick, however, pivoting out of the way causing Misao to skid past her. She then lunged forward and slammed into Misao, knocking her out of the ring.
"Point! White!" the referee announced.
"What? How'd the other girl get a point?" Kagami asked.
Jun shook her head, a small frown marring her face. "If you step out of the ring, your opponent gets a point."
"Push your opponent out of the ring, and you get a point. Cheap way to rack up a higher score," Jin added bitterly.
The girls on the mat retook their positions, and once again went at each other. Kagami held her breath as the two clashed in the center, each trying to find an opening for a takedown. Slowly, the other girl began to inch closer to the edge of the ring. Just as she was about to step out, she quickly dropped to a knee and pivoted, resulting with Misao stepping over the line.
"Point! White!" the ref shouted again.
Two minutes into the match and Misao was losing three to zero, each point scored by her stepping out of bounds. Kagami could see the frustration on her friend's face, and with only a minute left, she was getting equally frustrated as well. Both Jin and Masa were shouting profusely, and Kagami decided to join them. Standing up, she cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted, "Come on Misao! You can do it!" Whether or not her encouragement was heard, she couldn't tell, but Kagami was happy to see the look of frustration vanish, instead replaced with a typical toothy grin.
When the ref signaled to start again, Misao took a step back and set her stance. Surprised by the sudden change in tact, her opponent eyed her cautiously. The timer on the clock was dropping fast, and the two circled around, waiting for the other to make a move. Realizing both time and points were on her side, the other girl relaxed her stance ever so slightly, giving Misao a mocking smirk.
At that moment Misao pounced. In a flash she closed the distance, managing to get inside the girl's guard. With a ferocious shout, she grabbed a hold of her opponent and heaved her over her hip, lifting her completely off the ground. Changing her grip while the girl was at the apex of the throw, Misao landed in a vicious choke hold, squeezing as hard as she could.
"Ippon! Blue!" the referee bellowed.
Jin, Jun, and Masa all jumped up cheering, and Kagami was right there with them. Shortly after Misao had been declared the winner, the three finalists stood up on a small podium and were awarded their medals. The Kusakabe family was ecstatic, and Kagami felt like she had just participated in something that not many others had. Her heart began to race at the thought of being special to Misao, and she wanted nothing more than to rush down to the mat and be close to the girl.
As if to answer her thoughts, Jun reached under her seat and pulled out a small plastic bag. "I'm sure you know how forgetful Misao can be. Silly girl left her change of clothes here. Would you like to take them to her?"
Not wanting to seem to eager about the idea, Kagami answered with a simple yes and a nod. Mrs. Kusakabe pointed her in the right direction, and she soon found herself entering the girl's locker room. Thankfully she didn't have to search very hard. Misao was standing in the center of the room, animatedly discussing some of the day's highlights with her fellow classmates.
When Misao caught sight of Kagami, she said a hasty goodbye to the small group around her and ran up to Kagami. She instantly noticed Kagami had done herself up a little more than usual, and without thinking, said the first thing which popped into her head. "Wow, you look really pretty."
"R-really? Thanks!" Kagami replied, trying hard not to seem overly excited.
"Yea and thanks for comin too. It was nice havin ya here to cheer me on," Misao said cheerfully.
"No, thank YOU for inviting me," Kagami began, now showing a surprising amount of excitement. "It was really cool to watch you down there. How come you never mentioned this before? You're really good."
Misao shook her head and began undoing her belt and removing her gi top. "It's just a bunch of questions I get tired of answerin. Do you think you could beat me in a fight? Could you beat that guy in a fight? What would you do if I came at you like this? What martial art do you think is better, this one or that one? Ya know, that kinda stuff. Gets real old real quick. Just easier to keep quiet about it. And it's always kinda been somethin I do for myself."
Kagami was just about to tell her that she had never thought of any of those questions, and she doubted any of the other girls would either, when Misao suddenly yanked off her under shirt. Kagami's voice caught in her throat. Her friend was now only wearing a tiny sports bra and baggy gi pants, and she found it hard not to stare. Wow, that's really... I wish my stomach was that toned, Kagami marveled to herself.
"Hey, you doin alright there?" Misao asked, waving a hand in front of Kagami's face.
A bright crimson blush quickly spread over Kagami's cheeks. Crap, was I really that obvious with the staring? Quick say something. "I uh, was just thinking...about school work! Yea, that's it. Uh , have you finished your homework yet?" Yea, that wasn't lame at all, she mentally scolded herself.
Putting her weight back on one foot, and crossing her arms over chest, Misao regarded Kagami with a quizzical look. "I was gonna knock it out pretty soon. Was plannin on bummin Minegishi's work and goin from there," she said with a smile.
Snapped out of her stupor, Kagami gave her friend a deadpan look. "I'll take that as no, you're not done yet," she said with a sigh, and getting a small shrug from Misao in response. Stupid, don't give her a hard time about it. She was then hit with an idea, one she hoped might salvage the mess she'd put herself in. "Well...would you want to maybe come over to my house and work on it?"
A wide smile came across Misao's face. "Sounds awesome. Just the two of us?" she asked, recieving a small nod in reply. "Alright! Just name the time, and I'll totally be there," she said excitedly.
"Whatever works best for you," Kagami said, setting the small bag of clothing she'd been holding on the bench. She then noticed the gold medal sitting next to where she placed the bag, and picked it up to take a closer look at it.
Noticing Kagami's attention was elsewhere, Misao stepped up to her and smiled. "Here," she said, taking the medal out of Kagami's hands, and looping the band over her head. While pulling it down, Kagami took a step closer. The two were now almost face to face, and Misao still kept her hands on either side of the medal's band, holding her in place.
With their sudden proximity, and Misao still only in a sports bra, Kagami was once again rendered speechless. She was at a loss for both what to say and do, and was only able to stare into Misao's eyes, her face getting redder by the second.
Misao, on the other hand, was barely able to contain her excitement as she thought about being able to spend some time alone Kagami. "I'm totally free tonight if you are!" she exclaimed.
"Huh?...Oh, uh...yea, yea, tonight would be great," Kagami stuttered. "Around six work?"
Letting go of the band around Kagami's neck, Misao took a couple steps back. "Six it is." She then reached into the bag, pulled out a shirt, and put it on. A moment later she pulled off her gi pants, revealing a pair of very short, skin tight, spandex shorts.
Kagami quickly averted her gaze, suddenly finding the medal around her neck to be extremely interesting. Why, why does she have to do that to me? she thought, while trying not to peek as Misao finished getting dressed, and feeling even more embarrassed about her curiosity.
"Why don't you keep it," Misao said, pointing to the medal, and once again gaining Kagami's attention.
"What? But it's yours, you earned it," Kagami replied, finding it significantly easier to focus now that Misao was fully clothed.
"Well yea I earned it, but I want you to have it. It was really nice havin you here watchin and all. Made me want to win that much more. It'd mean a lot to me if you had it," Misao said, shoving her gi into the small bag.
"Wow, thanks! I'd definitely like to come to more often too," Kagami said happily.
"Sounds like a plan," Misao said, as the two made their way towards the exit. "Now let's get somethin to eat, I'm freakin hungry. Then I'll run home, grab my stuff, and swing by your place around six."
"Sounds great," Kagami replied. Well that went better than expected, she thought.
Awe lame! I totally missed an opportunity back there, Misao though angrily, realizing that her excitement had gotten the best of her. I'll have to make sure not to pull a stunt like that later. Gotta bring my A game.