So here's chapter 10 :) 11 is coming right after
Chapter 10
"Oh, there he is! Finally!"
"Takao, get change immediately! You've wasted enough time already!"
"What did I tell you, nanodayo? I said fifteen minutes!"
Ruka swallowed nervously as Takao's teammates (and Midorima) started yelling at him just as they stop at the gymnasium's entrance. The dark-haired simply scratched the back of his head and apologized before turning to her.
"Sorry Mai-chan, got to go. See you tomorrow!" He said and sprinted inside, waving. Ruka waved her hand, an apology hanging on her tongue. It's her fault that Takao was late. If she wasn't ignoring him—
The blonde paused her inner musings at the sight of three males (three huge males) staring down at her with a frown. Midorima was walking back to the court already. Ruka gulped and stepped back hastily.
"W-Well, pleaseexcuseme…" She breathed out with a small bow before running away.
"O-oy! Are you Takao's girlfriend?!"
…eh?
She almost stopped running to turn around and face them again but then she heard a loud laugh from the inside. Ruka sighed and shook her head. Takao-kun.
T: Still up?
Ruka blinked at the message. Why is Takao texting her in the middle of the night? She glanced on her digital clock. The red digits blinked back at her, 00:08.
"Seriously…" She muttered as she typed back. She may as well reply since she couldn't sleep (due to the fact that she still couldn't get over that Midorima Shintaro might actually like her back if he gets to know her).
Ruka sighed dreamily and hit the send button.
R: Yeah, I am.
She stared at her reply for a moment before adding,
R: Something wrong?
Not a minute later, her phone beeped.
T: Nah, just asking.
She almost responded but another message came.
T: Just wanted to make sure you're not mad :D
R: Should I be mad? -_-
T: HAHAHA no! Well, good night.
Ugh!
R: Takao-kun, what was that about?!
T: Nothing ;) Anyway, Shin-chan subtlety asked what we talked about in the afternoon. HAHAHA he was curious.
R: You're changing subjects!
R: And? Did you tell him?
T: Hahaha totally working though ;)
T: Nah, I told him it was nothing. He stared at me creepily after that.
R: What's with all the hahaha
R: Midorima-kun is not creepy!
T: What's wrong with hahaha? Hahahah
T: Are you serious? Shin-chan is definitely creepy, what with all his superstitious stuffs and nanodayos.
R: This is pointless.
T: Yeah.
R: Let's sleep.
T: Good idea.
R: Good night.
R: PS: Midorima-kun is not creepy.
T: Night.
T: PS: I'm showing this message to Shin-chan HAHAHA
…
…
…
R: Don't you dare!
…
R: Takao-kun!
…
…
R: TAKAO KAZUNARI-KUN!
…
Ugh! She quickly dialed his number and he picked up at the first ring, laughing breathily.
"Don't you dare!" Ruka whispered furiously.
"Yeah, yeah. Good night." He whispered back.
Silence.
"Um, good night." And then she pressed End Call.
Phew, that was awkward. I'm never calling him again.
"Do you think Takao-kun will ever notice me?"
Ruka almost choked on her yogurt at Kyoko's statement. They were sitting outside on the school grounds under a tree, eating lunch. It was just the two of them. Kyoko said she wanted to talk to her and then asked her if she wanted to eat lunch with her. Ruka was hesitant (she ate lunch with Kyoko and her friends before and ended up being totally out of place) but she didn't have the heart to say no to her. She was surprised though when Kyoko told her friends she'll just eat alone with Ruka.
"Ruka-chan?" Kyoko turned to her when she didn't respond.
"Err, what?" Ruka heard her brunette friend perfectly but she's stalling because she didn't know how to answer the addressed question.
"Do you think I have a chance with Takao-kun if I get him to know me better?" Kyoko rephrased. Ruka stared at her for several seconds, feeling anxious. The right answer would be yes, but knowing her dark-haired friend, it's probably gonna be no. Takao is very serious with his basketball career. After talking with him yesterday afternoon, she doesn't think that having a girlfriend is in his mind right now.
But Kyoko's expression is too… hopeful. Ruka moved her head in barely a nod. The brunette's face gave way to a full beam.
"Really? Then my plan is perfect!"
"P-Plan?" The blonde repeated cautiously, unsure if she wanted to know the said plan.
"Yes! From now on, I'm hanging around you since you two are close friends!" Kyoko announced happily and Ruka's eyes widen. She wanted to say that they aren't close friends but it's obvious that the brunette has set her mind. So she kept quiet. Although her heart pricked a little at the thought that Kyoko would only hang around her because of Takao.
Ruka is silent all throughout their lunch while Kyoko is counting down the ways to get Takao to notice her. She smiled and nodded occasionally at her friend.
Mathematics, as usual, is boring and complicated. Ruka was doodling at the back of her notebook, the very notebook that Takao discovered. She could only hope that they wouldn't have a quiz after the discussion because she wasn't really listening. When their teacher scribbled something on the board, she jots it down on her notes (so that she could try and study it at home) then went back to doodling.
She kinda wanted to draw a chibi version of her beloved Midorima but the thought of glancing at her seatmate is enough to churn her stomach. And what if he noticed her? Her world would most probably crash. So Ruka drew her dark-haired classmate instead. She kept on glancing at the back of his head even though she was just drawing from memory. She couldn't help it since, unlike her beloved seatmate, she could actually glance at him without worrying.
By her eighth glance, she looked up to find him grinning at her. Ruka made a face at him and Takao quirked his eyebrow at her then down to her notebook as if asking what she's doing. She glanced momentarily at their teacher who's writing something on the board. The blonde raised her notebook and showed him her doodle of him. Takao, clearly pleased, flashed a charming smile at her. She deadpanned at him, lowered her notebook, and drew. When she raised her notebook again (a minute later), she's wearing a smug smile at him. The dark-haired basketball player's face crumpled at the sight of his chibi self in a cheerleader uniform complete with pompoms and heart-shaped eyes. Ruka caught a movement beside her and it took everything for her not to squeal and scream at the sight of Midorima Shintaro smirking at her work slightly. It was barely there but Ruka saw the shift on his expression and already, her heart is on the verge of jumping out of her chest. She could only hope that he couldn't hear the frantic beating of her poor heart.
The blonde stopped staring immediately before that beautiful smirk could turn into a scowl at the sight of her drooling at him. She ended up staring wide-eyed at Takao who saw the whole thing and is already shaking with suppressed laughter. Ruka glared at him then tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear before stealing a quick glance at her seatmate. Midorima is back to paying attention on boring mathematics.
The blonde's smile was practically plastered on her face until the bell rang.
When the dismissal bell rang, Takao came up on Maihara's desk. His blonde friend is still grinning happily and he couldn't stop himself from grinning as well.
"I'm glad my cheerleader self made you so happy." He said teasingly. The blonde beamed at him and his grin widened.
"Takao, don't be late this time nanodayo." Midorima said as he slung his bag on his shoulder and stood.
"Yes, yes Shin-chan. I'm already coming. See you tomorrow, Mai-chan." Takao turned away to follow the green-haired. He saw Nayana Kyoko went to Maihara's desk on his peripheral before he walked out the door.
Takao went out of their changing room, now wearing his practice clothes, Midorima on his tow. The dark-haired bowed his head, shook out his hair, and wore the headband around his head. When he raised his head again, he saw a flash of blonde with his Hawk Eye and he whipped his head to that direction.
Maihara and Nayana are sitting on a bleacher on the far left, the former immediately looking away when he saw her.