Yay! Finished it on time! Enjoy and tell me your thoughts :)
Chapter 6
"What's so funny?" Kyoko asked, insulted at the sudden outburst.
Ruka, though, couldn't get herself to stop laughing. She knew it was unladylike to laugh so loud and to snort in between breaths but she couldn't help it! Of course it would be Takao! Why she didn't think of that, who knows?
When the blonde refused to stop laughing, Kyoko huffed and crossed her arms in her chest, leaning back to her chair. But her eyes were no longer guarded. Of course the blonde's answer is as clear as the blue sky: No. Her laughter said so.
"I'm (laugh) sorry..! (laugh again) That was so r-ru (another laugh) rude of me!" Ruka choked the words out in between giggles. Soon, Kyoko was joining her at the peculiarity of the blonde and the basketball player getting together.
The brunette couldn't deny her happiness at finding out the truth.
It's finally Sunday and Ruka couldn't wait for Monday to come. Unlike other students, she doesn't dread the said day much. After all, she'll be seeing her precious basketball player—Midorima—and Takao and Kyoko. The blonde wondered how she managed being friendless before when having people around her was too fun!
She shook her head at that. No idea.
"Ru-chan! Can you deliver these fruits to Nami?" Her mother called from downstairs and Ruka's spirit immediately sunk. Summer was just around the corner so it was hotter than normal outside. Not to mention that it's already one in the afternoon. And her Aunt Nami's house is far from here.
With a huge and deep sigh, the blonde detached herself from her bed and went to change. She decided to wear a faded orange, short-sleeved hoodie and brown cotton shorts that reached mid-thighs.
"You still remember her address?" Her mother asked as she tucked the three bags of assorted fruits to the basket of her bicycle. She deadpanned at her mother. "Just making sure." The older woman shrugged.
"Mom, we go to their place at least once a month. For the last eight years." Ruka answered and slung her sling bag over her head and one shoulder so that it rested on her hip.
"Okay, okay. Just be careful. Did you bring your pepper spray?"
She rolled her eyes. Yes, she carry around pepper spray wherever she go. Even at school. Since third grade.
"Yes, mom. I'm off." And she rode off, waving back once before turning to a corner.
The total ride from their house to her Aunt Nami's was over thirty minutes and Ruka rested for ten minutes halfway before riding again. She wasn't use to riding in her bicycle for quite a long time. Her ride to school is just ten to fifteen minutes and she's one of those school-and-house type of girls that's why she didn't appreciate long rides.
After another agonizing fifteen minutes, she finally arrived at the doorstep of her auntie. The blonde took a minute to make herself presentable. She finger-combed her short hair and straightened her hoodie before ringing the doorbell.
The door opened five seconds later and Aunt Nami's face immediately greeted her.
"Oh, Ruka-chan! Come in." The older woman opened the door wider, grinning from ear to ear.
Three hours later, Ruka was on her way home. She's walking side by side with her bicycle, too tired to pedal. Maybe thirty minutes of walking will do her legs well and then she would mount her bicycle again to pedal the remaining distance away. With a heavy sigh, the blonde bobbed her head up and down, thinking it was a good idea.
She just mentally thanked God that it was four in the afternoon already and the heat wasn't that piercing anymore.
"SHIN-CHAN!" Someone shouted on her ear behind her and Ruka shrieked loudly, jumping out of her skin for a moment. Her bicycle tumbled down on the concrete, forgotten.
The blonde whipped around and Takao was doubling over, clutching his stomach and bellowing with laughter. She landed a punch on his arm, face red.
"Y-YOU..!" Ruka panted, still shocked and partly annoyed. When the dark-haired didn't slow down in his laughter, she shoved him in the chest and he gratefully took a step back from her violence.
"You… (laugh) should've see—(laugh)—n your face! (another long and breathless laugh) That was so worth it..!" And he continued laughing. The blonde could only fume angrily at his sight.
Two minutes later, he finally calmed down although his ear-to-ear grin was still on place. Ruka glared at him.
"Fancy running into you here." Takao greeted, grinning.
"You didn't run into me. You came up behind me!" She corrected with another glare but let it go a moment later. Her dark-haired classmate crouched down to attend her fallen (and momentarily forgotten) bicycle just as a group of girls passed them by. They giggled and dragged an 'aww' before disappearing to a corner. "What was that about?"
The basketball player watched the group of girls and stood up, holding the bicycle in place. Something clicked inside his head and a smile grew on his face.
"W-Why are you smiling like that? That's creepy." Ruka muttered, eyes wide. She stepped back when Takao leveled their faces.
"We're wearing a couple hoodie!" The dark-haired announced happily before laughing loudly.
The blonde flushed as she noticed that they, indeed, were wearing the same orange hoodie. Before she could think twice, she has already landed a punch to her classmate's hard head who has choke on his laugh.
"We're not wearing a couple anything!"
Takao merely rubbed his head, stepped away (along with the bicycle), and then continued laughing. Apparently, the whole situation seemed so amusing to him as it was embarrassing to the blonde girl.
Ruka sighed, running a hand through her face. The day is almost coming to an end but she has a feeling that her Sunday is just starting, with her dark-haired classmate.
Takao glanced down on the petite girl beside him, his eyes immediately drifting lower to her faded orange hoodie. He grinned and she pouted, cheeks dusting pink. She was guiding her bicycle as they strolled along the walkways. Cars and bikes breezed past them, ruffling their hairs from time to time.
He doesn't like silence, especially between him and his new friend. But the blonde clearly is not in the mood of conversing with him. He really doesn't understand girls. It's not like they planned to wear orange hoodies. And even if they did, they're friends so it's nothing to be embarrassed about.
An idea popped to his head and he fished his phone out of his front pocket.
T: Are you angry?
Ruka stared at the new message in her phone. She glanced at him but he was just staring ahead. Rolling her eyes, she texted back.
R: Angry? No. Embarrassed? Yes.
A few moments later…
T: What's so embarrassing about our matched hoodies? I think it's cool.
The blonde gave him a 'are you serious' look before typing back furiously.
R: THEY THOUGHT WE WERE DATING! IT'S EMBARRASSING!
Takao snickered beside her.
T: So? We both know it wasn't true.
Ruka shook her head and pocketed her phone. It beeped again after a few seconds.
T: Nanodayo.
A smile crept up to her face and she shakes her head again. They walked in silence after that until Ruka decided to break it.
"Sorry for hitting you in the head." She muttered softly, feeling guilty. Takao nodded.
"You have violent tendencies, so I noticed."
The blonde blushed scarlet at the statement.
"I don't mind though." The dark-haired said, grinning at her. She blinked.
"You like getting hit?" Ruka asked incredulously.
"Pfft..!" The basketball player cackled but recovered shortly after. "That's not what I mean." He said and laced his hands behind his head.
"Hm?"
"I like it when people warmed up to me and do things they don't usually do to others because of their manners." The dark-haired glanced at her. "Like you and Shin-chan. Somehow, it meant that you guys are comfortable enough around me." He smiled.
Ruka stopped walking, gazing at him and realizing the meanings of his words. He glanced back at her, not pausing. The corners of her mouth almost curled until he spoke again.
"Or it could just mean that I'm really getting to your nerves!" He laughed and looked ahead.
…And he ruined the moment.
Shaking her head, the blonde jogged up towards him.
"Where are we going anyway?" She asked as soon as they're beside each other again. Takao stopped walking, his face lighting up. "What?"
"Are you off to somewhere?" He sounded excited.
"Uhh… no. Why?"
"Great!"
Huh?
"Give me your bike!" And before she could react, he had already mounted himself on it. The blonde could only blink at him. "Hop on!"
…
…
…
"No way I'm joining you in there!" She announced, stepping back. Takao leaned his folded arms on the handle of the bicycle, regarding her coolly. Like he owned it.
"Come on. I want to show you something." He persuaded. Ruka crossed her arms and checked the backside of her bicycle.
After a moment, she sighed in defeat.
"Fine. But I'm not sitting. In case you decide to smash us to a tree, I can leap off easily." She said and climbed on the back, both hands on his shoulders. Takao whistled and readied himself.
"Sure."
And then he pedaled away.