Enjoy~
Chapter 14
T: Can you believe it, Ru-chan? Shin-chan left me in the middle of traffic!
Ruka blinked down at her phone. She was on her way home from school (she was just walking because she needed to replace the brake of her bike) when she received it.
They're not on practice?
R: I thought you guys were practicing
She thought and added,
R: What happened?
T: Shin-chan wanted to see two of his teammates from middle school play against each other today so we cancelled practice
Hm, middle school? So two of those guys from the well-known Generation of Miracles? Wow, what a sight to see…
T: We were supposed to trade pedaling!
R: A practice game?
T: Yeah
T: Now everybody is looking at me
T: This is so embarrassing
Ruka laughed loudly and everyone turned to her. She straightened, cleared her throat and continued walking.
R: Forgive Shin-chan :)
T: Gah unfair!
T: Take my side, Ru-chan!
The Inter High preliminaries are now less than a week, and Kyoko started asking Ruka to come with her in the basketball club's practices. The blonde wanted to turn her down but couldn't since it's been quite a time since they last went.
So, here she is again, watching Midorima un-tape his fingers and Takao warming up from the bleachers. The latter caught her eye a while ago and waved to her which caused a smack from one of the teammates, the third year Miyaji. Ruka laughed at that and earned a pout from Takao.
"Hey, Ruka-chan…"
The blonde whipped her head to her side, watching Kyoko fiddle with the hem of her skirt.
"What is it, Kyoko-chan?"
"You said you would help me, right?"
Ruka's eyes widen. She meant to tell her dark-haired friend about that but ever since their late-night practices began, she didn't have the time to mention it (although he did remind her with a text). She somehow thought Kyoko would forget it but of course…
"I… I haven't told him yet. He's, um, very busy these past few days…" Ruka mumbled and looked down on her own skirt. She risked a glance to the brunette and found her smiling, albeit a little strained.
"It's okay. I know what you mean. Maybe when the preliminaries are over."
"R-Right."
"It's a shame we can't watch their games, right? We have classes." Kyoko said after a while, leaning forward to put her elbows against her legs and cradling her face in her hands. Ruka turned her gaze to the team on the floor.
"You're right." She agreed. She wanted to watch (and cheer Midorima, and maybe Takao, too) but only the basketball club is excused in their classes.
"I wonder if I can do something for him…" Kyoko wondered aloud.
Ruka felt a pang of jealousy at how Kyoko has made Takao acknowledge her feelings. Even though he did turn her down, at least he knew about her. Ruka could never do that with Midorima. She sighed heavily.
Ruka blinked, surprised, when Kyoko suddenly clapped her hands together, her face lighting up.
"If I make him a bento, do you think he'll eat it, Ruka-chan?" The brunette asked, eyes sparkling.
Ruka remembered that Takao always has his bento box with him.
"Ruka-chan?"
"I… I think he'll like it..?"
"Really? Ne, Ruka-chan, would you mind helping me? I'd love to have your opinion!" Kyoko beamed at her. The blonde couldn't say no, once again.
The bell rung, signaling lunch break and students immediately started scampering around and talking. Takao sighed heavily and leaned his head on his hand, waiting for Midorima to stand up so that they could go to the cafeteria. He was hungry. Their late night practices are using a ton lot more energy than usual and if he doesn't eat enough, he'll get tired easily. The dark-haired yawned.
His eyes went to Ruka, who was scribbling something on her notebook. Takao grinned. He hoped it wasn't another one of his partner inside a drawn heart. He snickered and went up to her. She didn't notice him until he pointed out that she was making a grocery list. Ruka shrieked loudly and almost headbutted him (again) but his fast reflexes saved the both of them.
"Ta-Takao-kun!" His blonde friend exclaimed and tried to cover the list. Takao raised a suspicious brow at her. "D-Don't surprise me like that!"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to." He apologized, raising up his palms. "Why are you hiding that, though?"
Ruka went beet red and her eyes momentarily glanced to someone from behind Takao then back to him. Takao tilted his head slightly to the right and saw with his Hawk Eye that that person was Nayana Kyoko.
"N-Nothing! It's nothing!" Ruka said loudly.
Hm. She keeps on stuttering.
"Takao, let's go." Midorima announced suddenly and Takao turned to him. His eyes dropped to the lunch box on the green-haired's hands.
"Whoa, Shin-chan! You have lunch?" He asked in disbelief. Midorima usually eats at the school cafeteria because he doesn't have a homemade lunch with him.
Midorima just looked away pointedly and tipped his glasses.
"Where will we eat though? Can we eat here?" Takao asked (he saw Ruka lighten up at that). If they don't have to buy anything at the cafeteria, might as well start eating here. He's famished.
"It's too crowded." Midorima answered simply.
The dark-haired thought for a moment and then…
"Areh, Shin-chan? Are we eating at the rooftop? That's so romantic." He teased. Midorima stiffened, snapped at him to hurry up and then walked out of the classroom. Takao bade goodbye to Ruka (who was blushing for some reason) and followed the green-haired outside, his own lunch in his hands.
They did eat at the rooftop. Takao didn't let him hear the end of it until lunch break was over.
Ruka was eating lunch solemnly (she refused Kyoko's offer to eat outside with Kyoko's friends), sad that her beloved Midorima refused to eat at the classroom. When she thinks about it, she realized that she has never seen Midorima eat. Ever. And Takao had. A lot. Which is unfair. She was eating slower than usual (because she's upset), her appetite gone but wanted to finish her lunch.
She was in the middle of munching when her phone beeped. It was Takao, rubbing salt on her wound. Or her envy.
T: Lunch date with Shin-chan :P
It included an attached photo of Midorima sitting, leaning against the rooftop railings, back straight and his black bento box on his lap. He had a fork inside his mouth and it looked like he didn't notice his partner snapped a photo of him.
Her phone beeped again and it was another photo. It was a picture of the both of them with Takao sitting on the rooftop floor, holding out his phone and grinning wickedly (at her, most probably). This time, Midorima's eyes is on the screen, beautiful eyes slightly wide.
Ruka was fuming with envy she wanted to throttle Takao. It's a good thing he wasn't a girl or else she has murdered him a long time ago.
T: Shin-chan hit me on the head
Hmp! Good for him!
Ruka was about to text that but another message came. Takao and his multiple messages, seriously.
T: Worth it, though :D
T: Jealous yet, Ru-chan? How about that body switching you mentioned before? ;)
Ruka coughed on her food, which made everyone turn to her. She reached for her water and drank quickly. He won't let that statement rest! She didn't even mean it that way! Takao was convinced that she wanted to swap bodies with him so that she could molest his body or something!
(She'd rather molest Shin-chan with Takao's body, seriously.)
(Kidding.)
(…Nope.)
R: YOU BLOODY IDIOT!
Midorima watched Takao cackled, glad that the latter hasn't had food in his mouth when he did or else it would have flown everywhere. He tried to see (subtlety) what his partner was laughing about on his phone (again) but the ray of the sun kept shining on the screen and it hurt his eyes staring at it. He once again hoped it has nothing to do with picture Takao snapped earlier of them. This scene is pretty similar to that one time Takao took a quick picture of him and then laughed.
Takao better not be laughing at him or else he'll shoot every ball on Takao's face on practice later instead of the net. And he won't miss, nanodayo.
Midorima smacked the back of his partner's head for good measure and then continued eating. He shouldn't be texting while eating. It's rude.
"Yes, yes, Shin-chan. I'm putting away my phone, stop being so jealous."