A/N: Thanks to everyone for keeping up the reading! R&R!
And if you've seen the anime Eiji pulls an excuse like the one he uses when the Chocolates come to his house… what a smarticle he is ;D
And now for the chapter! It skips around a lot, but whatever! Enjoy! (*.*)◊ (that's the chapter… bent… sideways… never mind)
FYI: Calling people by their given names in Japan and not using an honorific like -chan, -kun, or -san is a BIG DEAL.
Chapter 8
The Meetings
Ding dong!
Miku ran down the stairs from her room, down the hall, and opened the front door.
"Rei!" she exclaimed with a smile on her face, giving her best friend a hug.
There was a rumbling coming down the hall, and from behind Miku, Mochi leaped out the door and onto Rei, licking her face. Miku had to drag Mochi back into the hall, and then get Rei inside to close the front door.
Once Mochi was lying on her own bed in Miku's room and asleep, Rei and Miku sat on the latter's bed and talking about school.
"So how are things with Momo and Kaidoh?" Miku asked.
"Well, they only try to fight about once every class, maybe more," said Rei with a sigh. "I'd move where I sit every day, but I just like sitting beside Momo, and he has a window seat. What about you?"
"Well, Eiji is still having a hard time with English class," said Miku with a giggle. "He's especially clumsy when trying to read some of the poetry, like the rhyming ones. He makes Fuji's day when he does those. Fuji, of course, gets straight A's in all of his classes without trying hard and is always helpful when Eiji is partially asleep in class, though I think that he'd really love to see Eiji squirm a bit. I help with the books, like when Eiji has to read and is confused and doesn't know where we are."
"Your class sounds really fun!"
Miku laughed and nodded. "So…what club did you do on Monday?"
"I did softball. My team won by a long shot, too. I would've done basketball, but it was all filled up. But you had to stay in volleyball, right?"
"Yep. But Eiji and Oishi were on my team. We won all 3 sets in straight points, and Eiji and I stayed in the front and spiked our heads off." By this point in Miku's tale she was grinning, telling her friend about hers and Eiji's comradery in the volleyball club, as well as all the other people's activities. "And then on Friday, I fell asleep after talking to Tezuka a bit and this girl named Sakuno woke me up. Apparently, she's dating Ryoma."
"Yeah, I've heard about that. Momo complains that he brags about his relationship skills."
"Yeah, and then I walked home with Fuji part of the way and then…Eiji…the rest…" Miku trailed off, remembering what had happened the day before.
"Uh oh," said Rei. "What happened, Miku?"
"Well, Eiji had been acting funny ever since Fuji spotted him walking behind us. And then Fuji left, leaving me with Eiji, who was looking really sad. I asked him what was wrong a few times, and then he asked me…if I was dating Fuji." She spoke the last part slowly and gradually decreasing in volume.
"WHAT?" Rei almost shouted, her eyes wide and an indignant look on her face. "Why the hell would he think that?"
"I call Fuji by his given name and I talk to him a lot and am very open with him…"
"It's the same with me! And you call Eiji by his given name too, don't you?"
"Yeah, that's what I tried to say…"
"There's something you're not telling me, Miku."
"He y-yelled and then left suddenly," Miku said, a tear running down her face. "Eiji was angry at me and I was crying. It was really embarrassing…" and then started to cry. Rei gave her friend a big hug and a teddy bear. Miku just sat their silently for a while, rocking back and forth on her bed.
-Meanwhile, at Eiji's house…-
Eiji and Oishi were walking into Eiji's living room. Surprisingly, no one was home. Apparently Eiji had faked being sick and the family had gone on a trip without him, so that he and Oishi could be sure to talk in private.
"Eiji, what did you need to talk about?" Oishi asked. "You were vague over text."
"I need to talk about…" Eiji took a deep breath. "Miku."
"Okay, but why me? Why not Fuji? I thought you, him, and her were close?"
"You don't want to talk?"
"I said okay, Eiji." Oishi put his chin in his hand and looked at the floor, waiting for Eiji to begin.
"Um…alright then. Well it all started on Friday. You remember the scene outside the clubhouse with Miku and Fuji, right?"
"Yeah, it was kinda awkward."
"Anyway, I walked behind Miku and Fuji for a while, but Fuji spotted me. Then he left and Miku was asking me what was wrong. But I was so busy being pissed off and depressed that I… I yelled at her."
"What?" Oishi said, looking up at him with a slightly shocked look on his face.
"Yes, yes, I did," Eiji squeezed his eyes shut and covered his face with his hands. "And there's one more thing."
"Which is…?"
"I...I made her cry, Oishi."
Eiji opened his eyes and looked up at his friend. He was staring at Eiji in shock, not speaking.
"Eiji…" Oishi whispered. After a pause, "What are you going to do now?"
"I-I don't know," Eiji replied quietly, shaking his head. "Oishi, can you do me a favor?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Punch me in the face, please. Maybe it'll knock some sense into my head."
Oishi was easily 10-20 times as shocked as he was when Eiji told him about Miku. If Eiji wasn't as depressed he would've wondered why Oishi eyeballs didn't just pop out of his head.
"I-I can't do that, Eiji. Sorry."
"I figured as much… maybe Kaidoh can…"
"Ah… I'll be right back, Eiji."
Eiji sighed, and buried his face in a pillow. Oishi returned shortly with a giant teddy bear and put it on the couch next to his friend. Eiji, in turn, tackled the bear, giving it a giant hug.
"Thanks, Oishi," the onyx-haired boy heard his friend say into the bear.
"The Daigorou Bear saves the day again," Oishi murmured, and sat back on his couch with a sad smile on his face.
-Back to Miku's….-
"Thanks for cheering me up, Rei," Miku said, her tears finally gone.
"Anytime," Rei replied with a big smile.
Miku sighed and looked out her window.
"Rei?"
"Yeah?"
Eiji looked at his friend. "Oishi?"
"Yeah?"
Eiji and Miku simultaneously said, "I…I think I'm in love."