A/N: This is the second chapter. And, I am very glad that the first chapter was appreciated very much. Thank you for that. Thank you for reading/reviewing/follow/favoriting. :D
A Lovely SKET Dream
[Ch. 2]
'This can't be happening. It just can't. How could I even do such a thing?! She's my friend and I was…', Bossun's face turned beet red as he shoved more rice inside his mouth. He was having dinner with his family and at the same time, mentally scolding himself for dreaming about kissing Himeko. His mother noted, "You seem really in a hurry today, son. Don't eat your food so fast. You will get a stomach ache". Rumi said, "It's fine, Mum. Brother is hurrying with his dinner because he wants to study for his test tomorrow. Right?". Bossun nodded without looking at them. He gulped down three bowls of soup before getting up and saying, "Thank you for the dinner". He went to his room and closed the door from inside. A sigh escaped his mouth as he clutched his stuffed stomach. 'Man, I have always been a nervous eater. My stomach hurts. Ouch', he walked lazily towards his study table. Wanting to study for his test tomorrow, Bossun opened a course book and started reading. "Maths", he smiled, "This will help me take my mind off 'it'". Soon, Bossun engaged himself in the intricacies of Maths. He rapidly finished the calculus problems and now started with advanced probability. "This is so 8th grade", he commented on the nature of the problems. "Bossun", he heard a familiar voice. He looked up from his studies. There was no one around. "It's me – Hilda", a seductive voice echoed. Bossun frantically looked around. "I am here", he saw a blushing Himeko in a maid costume. "WAAAAAH!", he screeched and collapsed.
Bossun walked to his class, murmuring to himself, "It was just a dream. Just a silly dream. And then a hallucination. There's no need to get so worked up about it. Absolutely, no need. Besides, we can't control what we dream about, right?". "A new research has proved that our subconscious mind leads us to dream of things we really want", Switch appeared out of nowhere. Bossun jerked away, "Hey! Why do you have to appear like a phantom and scare people like that?! And, how did you hear what I was saying?". Switch replied, "I didn't hear anything. I was just telling you about an article I read this morning. What were you talking about?". "Nothing", Bossun looked away. Switch shrugged, "Anyway, we have to help the hockey team to choose a mascot, remember?". Bossun answered, "Yeah, I remember. We will go meet them after the test". "You mean, after classes", Switch corrected his friend. "Whatever", Bossun said and entered the class room, followed by Switch. He took his regular seat and waited for the professor to come and start the test. He was mentally revising some formulae when he heard some boys chatting,
"The sports festival will be here soon. I am going to ask Linda on a date then"
"Nice, man. I am still confused if I should go with Kiara or Reiko"
"You, dog, you. Haha. Hey, Yuji, do you have a date for the sports festival?"
"Not yet. But, I'm going to ask someone"
"Who?"
"Himeko"
"Oh… The cute blonde, huh?"
"Yep"
Bossun frowned and shifted to the right to eavesdrop better. "Settle down", the professor said as he entered the class with a pile of test papers on his arm. The boys stopped talking and dispersed.
Switch and Bossun were discussing about the test once it was over. Bossun was sitting sideways on his chair. He said,
"Did you solve the extra questions?"
"Yep. And you did too"
"Well, I had checked the answers twice and there was enough time. So, you know"
"Today, Asou sensei is going to continue teaching us E. E. Cumming's 'Somewhere I Have Never Travelled'"
"The businessman?"
"The poet – Cummings. Hey, Himeko is late for the English class again"
"Y-yeah. She is", Bossun said. He stared at the floor, deep in thought,
'How do I react when I see her today? Well, there shouldn't be any change in my behavior. It's not like I love her or something. Because that would be wrong. Yes, wrong. It's just a friendly, erotic crush. What is wrong with me?!'. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He sweat and froze at the same time.
"Phew. I thought, I was going to be late again today. Thankfully, Asou sensei has not arrived yet", Himeko said and sat on the chair next to that of Bossun. He slowly turned around. Himeko asked him and Switch, "How was your test?". "It was fine", Switch said. Bossun kept quiet. She asked, "What about you, Bossun?". He gave her a slight nod, "It was good". He pretended to listen as Switch and Himeko discussed the Sket Club's tasks for the day.
"Himeko-san?"
All three looked up at the tall guy standing near Himeko's desk. 'Yuji', Bossun sulked. He smiled brightly at Himeko,
"Good morning, Himeko-san"
"Good morning, Kurosawa-san", she replied.
"Will you be joining our hockey team after classes today? That mascot issue, if you remember"
"Yes, we will be there", Bossun folded his arms and looked at Yuji. Yuji smiled at him and Switch, "Thanks again. You guys are very helpful"
Before Himeko or Switch could reply, Bossun said, "We are. Yes, we are very helpful. That's what we do"
Yuji nodded politely, "Say, Himeko-san…"
"What… uh, what time will you be practicing today?", Bossun interrupted. Himeko and Switch seemed confused at his strange behavior. Yuji said,
"3 o'clock. Uh, so I was saying, Himeko-san, that…"
"Oops. Asou sensei is here. You better get back to your seat. Go, go", Bossun gave him a fake smile. Yuji observed him for a minute, smiled again at Himeko and Switch, and resumed his seat.
Switch commented, "Very chatty today, aren't we, President?"
Himeko whispered sharply, "Bossun, what was that about?"
"What? That guy just has an annoying, gruffy voice. It hurts my ears", he shrugged.
"It's not annoying. It's husky. I sort of like his voice", Himeko said casually.
"You what?", Bossun asked. "Quiet down", Professor Asou said as she laid her purse and books on her table. Bossun looked at the board, his frown being very visible. Switch's glasses shined as he noticed the tension in the air.
"Pay attention to my pronunciations now. E. E. Cummings' poem – Somewhere I Have Never Travelled", Asou sensei read aloud. Bossun was looking at Himeko, his mind full of unfamiliar thoughts.
The professor read,
"Somewhere I have never travelled, gladly beyond any experience,
your eyes have their silence: in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which I cannot touch because they are too near"
Bossun thought, still looking at her,
'We have been friends for a long time. The truth is, she is the girl I cherish the most. Everything she does, it touches my life in one way or another'
"Your slightest look easily will unclose me, though I have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal, myself as Spring opens…
touching skillfully, mysteriously… her first rose"
'I did.. or do have some sort of crush on her. And I have never opened up so much to anyone else's gentle smile. Her smile though, at times, has made me forget who I am'
"Or if your wish to be close to me,
I and my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines the snow carefully
everywhere descending"
'I feel something for her which I don't feel for others. All this time, I thought, it was just friendship. But now… could it be?'
"Nothing which we are to perceive in this world
equals the power of your intense fragility:
whose texture compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing"
'She may be strong. But, I have always maintained this sense of responsibility and this yearning to protect her. And I get so jealous when a guy tries to get close to her!'
"I do not know what it is about you that closes and opens;
only something in me understands..."
'It can't be just a crush. I have always been amazed by everything about her. Her smile, her loving heart, her generosity, her sense of justice…'
Asou sensei said,
"Now who can tell me what the last lines of the poem are?"
'Her eyes, every little thing she does for me…'
"Anyone?"
"Nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands", Bossun said, to the surprise of everyone. Prof. Asou smiled proudly,
"Very good, Fujisaki-san"
He smiled back sheepishly at her. Himeko looked at Bossun and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Impressive", she mouthed. Bossun smiled,
'Himeko… only Himeko'