"Managerial Mayhem"
SUMMARY: Wanted! A manageress for Hyoutei's Tennis Club. Applicant? Ito Himawari, an ambitious girl who wants to be anything but normal. What to expect: Headaches, sore legs, angry fangirls, flying tennis balls, and maybe even… love?
DISCLAIMER: The Prince of Tennis was created by Konomi Takeshi. As usual, the characters in the franchise do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series. Thank you and have fun reading!
CHAPTER FIVE: The Manager is a Target
Classes ended early because there was a very important meeting that all the teachers in Hyoutei were required to attend that particular day. Deciding that she had to pay attention to the call of nature, Himawari headed straight to the ladies' comfort room for a badly needed bladder break. And after she was done and was in the middle of washing her hands (like every good girl should after doing her business), four girls came in at the same time and made small talk with her.
"Himawari-san, in behalf of the entire fanclub, we extend our deepest and sincerest gratitude for your commendable efforts," the pixie hair girl said, whom we shall dub 'Spiky' just for the heck of it (and partly because her hair was spiky).
"Efforts?" Himawari blinked at them and slightly frowned. "On what?"
"For getting Kabaji out of the way!"
And of course, that explanation was not enough for Himawari to fully comprehend what they were talking about. It was like listening to an alien language, or if not, then maybe Chinese. Sensing her growing confusion, one of the girls who shall be now known as "Megane-chan" pulled out a set of photographs from her Hello Kitty bag. The girl excitedly handed them to the tennis club manager and Himawari, not the one to refuse (at least in public), took a good look at them and- (1)
WHOA.
-managed to conceal a grimace from appearing on her face as she shuffled the pictures back and forth in disbelief. All the pictures were top notch and Himawari was pretty sure that they weren't the works of just an amateur photographer.
ATOBE, ATOBE and MORE ATOBE?
But why were all these pictures focused solely on the Hyoutei King? Front view, side view, back view, top view, close-ups, candids, etcetera… Really, all these different sides of the same person were making her dizzy.
But what was she supposed to expect? Rabid fangirls were one thing; Atobe's rabid fangirls were another.
"Himawari-san, with Kabaji out of the way, we can finally take clear snapshots of our Atobe-sama!" The girl with the, er, skin problems enthusiastically reported.
"Er…" Really, what was she supposed to say? Something along the lines of 'Hey, I support your stalking campaign one hundred percent?'
Spiky's hand suddenly clasped Himawari's left shoulder. "Though we really do not know what you ever saw in Kabaji, we still wish you guys all the best." She lowered her voice into a whisper. "Though to be honest, I'll give you guys less than a month since he doesn't look like the perfect loverboy and all. If ya know what I mean." Himawari snapped her head and turned to the other girls who were currently giving her the kind of look that was exclusively used for pitiful kicked puppies.
Himawari glared at them pointedly. "First of all, I am not- "
"Anyway," the girl with too much make up on her face cut off Himawari's little speech and clapped her hands to call the girls' attentions. "I think that even though our Atobe Photoshop is growing by the day, we must find a way to expand our activities." During the girl's monologue, Himawari tried her best to sneak out, but Miss Toxic Face was quite the speedy one and immediately grabbed her hand. "I think we should ask Himawari-san about a few details concerning our beloved Atobe-sama!" (2)
"YEAH!" There was an infinite understanding among these people, made possible by their mutual desperate need to stalk Atobe Keigo.
"Uhm…"
"Go on, Himawari-san! Share to us the wonderfulness of our King!" Spiky prodded, looking dangerously eager.
"Atobe-san is… Er, he is-" Himawari tried to decide what the best words would be to describe Atobe. Normally, she would use colorful words that meant something like dazzling, awesome, or God-like. But that was ages ago, when she knew nothing of Atobe's true personality. Times have changed. And now, her blood boiled in anger everytime she thought of how evil and mean and underhanded and pompous the guy was. It was his entire fault that she was being linked to Kabaji! Atobe ruined all of her plans and he was-
"-an ass."
The moment those words left her mouth was also the moment Himawari knew that she goofed. Jaws hit the floor and four pairs of eyes were transfixed on her. Himawari gave herself a mental slap while wondering at the same time where she had gone wrong in life. Before the girls could react though, Himawari pulled an ad lib from out of nowhere and smiled at them in a sickly sweet manner.
"He has fine assets," Himawari told them, not batting an eyelash.
"We all know that," the girl with the excessive make-up slowly replied after a moment of recovery. "Unless you…" She gasped, horror-struck, and the other girls took on a similar unflattering expression.
"OH NO YOU DIDN'T!"
BAM!
The door to the restroom unexpectedly opened up, revealing Kabaji, the tennis team's resident human gargoyle.
"P-P-PERVERT!"
Nice timing, Kabaji! Himawari took this as a sign to retreat as the other girls went to find an open stall to go and hide in while they screamed like wild chickens on the loose. As if that made sense.
Well, it was a good thing Kabaji was there though. She grinned as she danced down the stairs. Wait, why was he here again? Himawari tilted her head to look at Kabaji and when she saw the cellphone on his hand, she eventually knew what his purpose was.
"Hello?"
"Ito."
Well, well, well! If it wasn't Mr. Fine Assets himself! She pressed the cellphone closer to her ear. "Atobe-san? Is there anything you want from me?"
"Of course there is. Ore-sama wouldn't be calling you now for no purpose at all, would he?" came the muffled reply.
The manager refrained from rolling her eyes.
"There is a minor problem that Ore-sama should have attended to as soon as possible, but unfortunately, Ore-sama has a conflict with his schedule for today and therefore cannot directly address this predicament. Ore-sama would like you to take over this matter."
Himawari was a bit surprised. Now she was his personal gopher too?
Atobe wasn't done. "Kabaji has all the papers that you need. The Library is temporarily closed for renovation so you can go to the nearest Sunbucks store to work on this. Ore-sama is inclined to believe that you would at least know how to operate a laptop and use PowerPoint. Again, Kabaji has the reservation card. After finishing, report without delay back to Ore-sama. Understand, Ito?" (3)
"Of course," and then the manager slid the phone shut with a loud growl.
It was already six o' clock in the evening. Most of the students were already on their way home or were already home. Himawari didn't understand why Atobe was making her work to the bones this day. Again, she proceeded to repeat her mantra inside her head:
Damn you Pompous King!
Himawari could feel her temper rising as she replayed the day's events inside her head. The meeting with Atobe's deranged fangirls was at least amusing in its own little way. Hanging out on Sunbucks was cool too; as it turned out, Atobe's reservation card also had the power to order limitless frapuccinos and various assortments of snacks. However, when she opened the laptop and inserted the USB, she almost had a nosebleed when she saw the mountain of data waiting to be organized. The papers Kabaji had with him were quite useful, but in the end, Himawari still had to rely on her own expertise to manage the files that Atobe had given her.
She didn't want to admit it, but Atobe had the potential to become the most successful businessman in Japan in the future. In addition to running the student council with an unprecedented efficiency, serving as a dedicated captain to the Hyoutei Tennis Club (which, take note, houses two hundred and more club members), and staying at the top of his class every semester, he also attends business functions as his father's representative which exposes him, naturally as the heir of the Atobe Zaibatsu.
No wonder she hates him so much. His perfection was getting on her nerves.
She looked down on the Sunbucks complimentary coffee she was given. Apparently, Atobe wanted one and since she was ever so polite (IN PUBLIC!), she volunteered to hand it personally to the diva himself.
Himawari paused, noticing that something was wrong. She turned around and realized that Kabaji wasn't with her. She probably lost him on the way. The raven haired girl shrugged and figured out that it wouldn't make much of a difference if Kabaji was with her or not.
Unbeknownst to the girl, a figure had been spying on her. He smiled through his binoculars and made a call.
"Meet me at seven."
The warm evening air blew on Himawari's face. Atobe had instructed her to meet him by seven, and of course Himawari, the submissive manager of the team, did as she was told and went. Ooh, his bossiness really annoyed her!
The girl checked her cellphone. She had texted her father already to tell him that she would probably be late for dinner. He hadn't sent a reply yet, she noted, as she returned her cellphone to her skirt pocket.
The school grounds were deserted, and it made Himawari feel wary. It must be all in her head since she swore she saw a bunch of shadows moving behind her. She took another step. And another. And another. Okay, she was getting paranoid. This was Hyoutei! Security wasn't exactly lax here! It was just her imagination when she saw another shadow of a man looming almost right behind her. Yeah, just her imagination!
She felt a sudden vibration. That must be her father. One hand automatically went to her skirt pocket, when-
"Hey little girl…" A husky voice said out of nowhere.
"Who's that?" Himawari now felt more alert. Were there any students left aside from her and Atobe who was supposed to be waiting inside the clubroom?
There was silence at first. She narrowed her eyes and three burly men stepped out from the shadows, all looking equally reprehensive. She froze on the spot.
"Wanna play with us?" One of them sneered.
For a moment, she didn't move. She couldn't move. She desperately tried to move her shaking limbs so she could escape quickly. "S-Sorry. I have to go. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
The man suddenly grabbed her wrist and prevented her from escaping. Strong arms trapped her the moment she was within reach, rendering her unable to escape. The coffee on her hands fell and formed a puddle on the grassy ground. Himawari let out a gasp, as another one pointed a knife at her neck. "Don't get mad," the man with the weapon whispered to her ear, his voice sounding amused. "Just obeying orders. We're gonna have fun right?"
Himawari did not answer. Her mind was racing, and her heart was beating so rapidly that she was surprised it hadn't leapt out from her rib cage yet. Her eyes darted around furiously as she desperately wished for someone to come and notice her plight. Where the hell were those damn guards anyway? They should be doing their damn duties!
"Don't scream," her captor warned. The man then pressed the bladed weapon on her neck, making a light scratch on her skin. "This won't hurt at all."
The girl's eyes flashed when she felt the man loosen his grip for a bit. Deciding to take this opportunity, she attempted to wiggle her way out.
"NO!" She yelled as she bit his arm savagely. Taken by surprise, the man yelped in pain. Himawari staggered dizzily and tried to summon all of her strength to stand up but her captor was back on his feet. He reached for her long hair and pulled it, dragging the girl's entire body back to him in the process. She felt the cold and sharp weapon grazing her arm. That was it. That was her last chance of escaping, her last hope to be free. She closed her eyes, waiting for the worst…
PLAK!
It all happened in a blur.
A flying tennis ball came and hit the man with the knife squarely on the face with so much force that he was knocked down on the ground. Before anyone could react, another ball appeared and hit the man again which ultimately made him unconscious. The other men, plus Himawari, looked up in astonishment to see who threw those tennis balls.
"Yare yare…" The mysterious savior said, stifling a yawn. "I just had a good sleep and this is what greets me?" (4)
Akutagawa Jirou stood triumphantly on top of a dead tree trunk, a tennis racket on one hand. He had been sleeping at a comfortable place for a few hours until his eyes opened up by its own when he heard a loud commotion not too far from him. Of course, being a man moved by curiosity, he just couldn't resist the possibility of uncovering a dark secret, just like the action heroes he cheered for in the movies. He decided to follow the source of the noise.
To his disappointment, there weren't any dark secrets whatsoever, but the situation that welcomed him was certainly 'dark' in its own way. Three man ganging up on the Hyoutei Tennis Club manager? Unforgivable!
"A-Akutagawa-san!" Himawari said once she recognized the man.
Akutagawa Jirou, the Sleeping Beauty of Hyoutei. Rarely did she have a decent conversation with him since ninety percent of the time, Jirou was asleep. As for the other ten percent, it was reserved for playing tennis or for running laps on Atobe's orders. It seemed strangely odd to see him so awake, but who was she to complain when this boy might be able to get her out of this predicament?
Something inside her heart then ached. If Jirou would get in trouble too, she cannot forgive herself! She didn't want to compromise Jirou's safety too. Really, what can a scrawny highschooler do when his opponents were three muscular men? He was clearly outmatched. She turned pale and yelled out, "AKUTAGAWA-SAN! RUN AWAY! CALL THE POLICE!"
"Be quiet, woman!" The man bellowed as he elbowed Himawari on the sides. He did not even bother to notice the tears that sprang on her eyes as he regarded Jirou with a menacing glare, "Heh. Just a highschool brat. Odeki would finish him!"
As if on cue, the guy named Odeki hurtled forward, ready to give Jirou a finishing blow. When he punched at Jirou, his fist connected nothing but air as Jirou ducked just in time and kicked him in the shins. Hyoutei's valley specialist followed it up with two punches in the abdomen and an impressive roundhouse kick. He landed on his feet gracefully, like a feline, while Odeki stumbled backwards, a little dizzy.
"Is that the best you can do?" Jirou asked mockingly as he rushed towards the wobbly man and hit him on the face with his racket.
"Y-You damn brat!" The leader of the pack held on to Himawari even tighter, his firm grip almost crushing her bones. "I still have this girl with me! Stay back! Stay back, you hear-"
Before he could finish his sentence, a massive force smacked him at the back of his head, making him tumble forward and release Himawari. Thankfully, the girl did not hit the ground, for Kabaji was there to catch her right away. She swayed for a bit, her center of gravity still off.
"Nice job, Kabaji!" Jirou gave a thumbs up and a wide smile.
Himawari blinked a few times. Her head was still throbbing. Even if she didn't want to think about it, her whole body was still shaking from the fear of the incident a while ago. If it weren't for Jirou and Kabaji, who knows what might've happened to her? Her eyes scanned her surroundings with slight apprehension. Three bodies were lying on the ground, all out cold. She weakly turned her head around to face the stone-faced giant who just rescued her. "K-Kabaji-san… Arigatou…"
This time, Kabaji gave her a reply. "Usu."
"Ah, I'm really hungry now! This is the problem whenever I sleep too much! I get too hungry! Ah!" Jirou complained as the three of them walked towards the clubroom.
"Atobe would throw a heavenly fit if he finds out that I wasted his precious coffee…" Himawari muttered, a dark aura forming around her again. Jirou and Kabaji didn't mind her though. Jirou was too busy describing to Kabaji the exciting dream he had before he woke up.
Himawari couldn't believe Akutagawa Jirou. He's certainly something, that's for sure. He just fought some mysterious perverted creeps and yet there he was, conversing about his dream match with a guy named Marui from Rikkai like nothing happened. And Kabaji was… Well, he's Kabaji. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that the Hyoutei Tennis Club was a breeding ground for future martial artists. She must have been the only reasonable one out of them for thinking of calling the police ASAP through Kabaji's cellphone.
Thankfully, the Hyoutei guards came and assisted them. They took the three goons with them and that was the end of that.
"Where were you?" Atobe asked them when they reached the clubhouse.
Himawari didn't even bother to hide her surprise when she found out that Atobe was waiting for them outside. Everyone knew that he thought of himself as a king, and a king never waits. Ever. So when Atobe's sharp eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at them, Himawari couldn't help but look out for any signs of the coming Apocalypse.
He lightly grazed Himawari's cheek. "Ore-sama believes that something horrible happened, naa Ito?"
Himawari fidgeted slightly from the touch. She coughed and said, "Uh… Yes… Something like that."
Atobe cocked his head and then turned to Kabaji, "Were you by Ito's side when this incident happened, Kabaji?"
There was pregnant silence, followed by, "…No."
Atobe exhaled sharply and patted Kabaji on the back. "As long as everything turned out alright, it is fine Kabaji. Do not be hard on yourself. Ore-sama knows that you've done your best."
"Usu."
"As expected from my buchou, nothing escapes his notice!" Jirou gushed, entering his fanboy mode.
Himawari looked even more baffled. What were they talking about? Jirou was grinning from ear to ear and it made Himawari truly annoyed since even Jirou (who was notorious for dozing off whenever in a conversation) seemed to know more than she did. She let out a sniffle and then tried her best not to think about this matter anymore, but her hypothalamus was not being cooperative enough and decided to refresh her memory with familiar conversations that she had during the past week.
Really, this is all for the best…
If Atobe was the one who directly ordered Kabaji to stay by your side, then all is fine.
Ah.
Himawari's cheeks flushed as realization dawned on her.
The reason why Kabaji was always at her side.
The reason why the threats suddenly started to stop.
How could she have not noticed it? She berated herself for being stupid enough to not see what was happening. She had always prided herself as an observant and perceptive woman. She may not have the amazing brain of a Sherlock Holmes, but she would at least like to think that her intelligence and sensitivity to the things that were happening around her were above average. Why can't the earth swallow her whole right now? (5)
"Ito," Atobe said. "What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and open the door. We are all waiting."
Himawari felt too embarrassed to even think of calling him lazy for ordering her to open the door. She twisted the doorknob and-
"SURPRISE!"
-confetti and balloons and streamers greeted her as soon as she laid her eyes on the room. The Regulars were all there, as well as some other senior members of the Hyoutei Tennis Club. On one side of the room was a banner that read, "Congratulations, Manager-san!" with the signatures of the members on it.
"Cake, ice cream, spaghetti!" Jirou instantly rushed forward to a long rectangular table where the food and beverages can be found.
"OI!" Taki, one of the more disciplined members, roared when he saw the other members dig in. Really, this was Jirou's fault!
"We're sorry if this was late, Himawari-senpai!" Choutarou spoke up, emerging from the small crowd. "The party was supposed to be a week ago, but we needed some more time to distract you. You were always going home early!"
Himawari looked down. She suddenly felt like the worst person that ever existed.
"You like it?" Atobe asked as soon as he stepped inside the room.
"I…" Himawari found her throat to be dry. All this time, she was thinking of how she could benefit from being associated with the tennis club and thinking badly of the team. She felt ashamed and undeserving. They were all nice people, she realized. They should not be doing this for someone like her.
"A smile would do," Atobe answered for her.
The girl blinked, trying to process the information. Then, in understanding, she smiled genuinely for the first time since she joined the Tennis Club.
"Much better," Atobe nodded in satisfaction. For a moment, the Hyoutei King could only gaze at the girl beside him before finally giving his trademark smug smirk, "Even youwould have to fall for Ore-sama sooner or later."
"Wha-"
Atobe laughed and made his way to the karaoke part of the room, where the other members were belting out 'My Heart will Go On' with so much feeling and passion. Gakuto soon took Himawari's arms and told her that he'll teach her how to break-dance. She immediately refused. Hiyoshi and Shishido were participating in a little game called "Rock, Paper and Scissors," with Hiyoshi gaining the upper hand much to Shishido's dismay. Oshitari was in one corner of the room, immersed in a deep conversation with -GET THIS!- Jirou. All the others were either eating the sumptuous food or chatting with each other. (6)
Snap!
All eyes turned to Atobe, who was holding a microphone on his hand.
"Be awed at the sound of my singing voice!" He declared mightily as cheers and shouts of "ATOBE! ATOBE! ATOBE!" flooded the room. The sound of exuberant laughter and excited giggles vibrated throughout the whole club room as the Hyoutei students busied themselves with merrymaking.
Choutarou went to Himawari to talk to her again, mumbling something about the lack of reasonable people in the room. He had noticed this when some members started vomiting on the polished floor and spinning around the room like fool children.
"Himawari-senpai… Gomen ne…" The tall second year uttered, his tone a bit apologetic. "You know, this party was supposed to be for you but things got more chaotic and…" They turned to the members dancing and then to Atobe who already had a spotlight on him. "…this happened," he finished with a sigh.
Himawari regarded him with a look of great interest. "Why are you the one apologizing, Ohtori-san? Is it really in your nature to worry about people too much?"
The silver-haired boy blushed. Himawari suspected that Ohtori blushed even when he wasn't really embarrassed. "Uhm, I don't know. I've always been this way." He looked down on her. "Why? Is it annoying you, Himawari-san?"
"Not really," Himawari blinked, caught off guard by his question. "I just… Well, I just admire your sincerity in everything I guess."
He nodded, looking quite pleased.
"If I were a little more like you, I think that Atobe-san would like me better," Himawari blurted out, not even knowing what evil spirit possessed her to discuss this matter with Choutarou. Maybe it was because he was a very good listener, and she was sure that he won't be judgmental at all.
"Nonsense Himawari-san!" Choutarou loudly argued. His cheeks turned pink and he said, in a quieter voice, "Atobe-san is a good judge of character. And he values all of the tennis club members equally. I think that the same thing could apply to Himawari-san. You have persevered this past few weeks to prove to him that you could be the manager we were looking for and I know for a fact that Atobe-san doesn't disregard hard work. How can Atobe-san not like you?"
"Well, I don't like him…" Himawari murmured.
Choutarou's eyes widened. "You don't?" When she nodded, he just stared at her blankly. "Oh. Okay."
Himawari wanted to be angry. She just revealed one of her biggest secrets and an indifferent answer was what she got? Ito Himawari wasn't the kind of girl who revealed her weaknesses, but she was expecting that when she would finally do so, the other party might as well have a reaction of epic proportions. She smiled blandly, trying to hide her newfound bitterness for the boy. "You don't seem surprised, Ohtori-san."
"I am!" The silver haired boy waved his hands. "I'm actually too surprised. There are some girls who say that they hate buchou even though they are secretly infatuated with him. But I just never thought that it would possible for a girl to spend a few weeks with Atobe-san and not change her opinions about him. Usually, they'll…" He stopped on his tracks and coughed. "Er, they'll become converted."
The two unconsciously threw a glance at the Hyoutei King who was singing. In German.
Himawari frowned as the words 'Evenyouwould have to fall for Ore-sama sooner or later' thundered her head. Women below the age of one hundred should not be allowed to be near him. If she herself was getting vulnerable, then maybe this manager skit wouldn't turn out to be as great as she initially hoped. In Ohtori's words, she might as well be converted.
"I can see why."
It was impossible to not notice the sarcasm on Himawari's voice, but to Choutarou's credit, he just managed to ignore the girl's dry tone and continued, "I hope you won't think ill of me for saying all of these things."
The raven haired girl smiled again in response. "And I hope you won't think any differently of me."
"Atobe-san would like you," Choutarou beamed, his eyes sparkling. "I like you too, Himawari-san, and I hope we could become better friends."
"Shishido-san doesn't seem willing to befriend me though," Himawari pointed out. Among all of the Regulars, it was Shishido who had the unfortunate luck of always seeing Himawari shine in her moments of darkness.
"He'll come around!"
Himawari giggled. If only Atobe could be as sweet and nice as Ohtori Choutarou, then maybe he would really be perfection personified. And maybe she would really go bonkers over him. But Kami-sama is a wise person. Atobe was a prick, and she hated him. She must remind herself that this was war and if she wanted to really impress Atobe and make him change his opinion of her, then she would have to redouble her efforts.
Although, Himawari swallowed convulsively, he seemed to really care about me a while ago.
She shook her head, deciding to push those thoughts away. Atobe was the enemy! He was the L to her Light, the Draco to her Harry, the Lupin to her Sherlock Holmes, the Persian army to her Spartan forces! She wasn't a heroine in a stupid romance novel! (7)
Jirou's deafening voice then interrupted her thoughts.
"WOOO! Atobe! The fireworks you promised! FIREWORRRKKKSSS!"
The next day, Himawari found herself gaping at a test paper with the grade fifty percent.
Damn you tennis club freaks! Himawari ominously chanted her new mantra inside her head, steam practically coming out of her ears. Damn you and your party! I just got fifty percent in Trigonometry! Damn you!
(1)Megane-chan is a cute nickname for girls with glasses
(2) Atobe Photoshop is the best photo editing software evah and has been praised by critics all around the world. The only problem is, it has an 'Atobe Recognizer' so you can only edit those photos which include Atobe in it. (SRSLY LOL)
(3) Sunbucks is a parody of the largest coffeehouse company in the world. I guess you know which coffeehouse I am talking about… (Don't sue me!)
(4) Yare Yare basically means "my my" or "what a hassle" when loosely translated
(5) Sherlock Holmes is a well-known detective in the literary world
(6) "My Heart Will Go On" is the themesong of the movie "Titanic"
(7) Er, all of the characters mentioned in pairs are known for their famous rivalry acts to some extent.
AN: Hey I'm back! Partly because of all the wonderful reviews I got, I managed to upload the latest chapter today! HUZZAH!
Well, actually, there were a lot of parts that I didn't like about this chapter. When can I properly write an interaction between Atobe and Himawari anyway? Sigh. And I apologize for the crappy fight scene! I think my brain was farting while I was writing that part. Oh, and by the way, the 'almost-abduction' scene is so cliché and I so hate it, but it's part of the bigger plot I had in mind. Atobe throwing the manager party was another 'WTF! OOCness characterization' moment, but I would like to think that it gave him an excuse to throw a festive party and at the same time, show how much the tennis team means to him (in the team, when you're the manager, you're like the right hand of the coach/captain). Eh, I'm not making any sense.
And Kabaji, Jirou and Choutarou FTW! LOL! I'll have to make a chappie where the other members can shine too.
Okay, I feel guilty for not replying to those people who reviewed Chapter 4. I actually find it easier to just squeeze my responses in the story itself (IN OTHER WORDS I AM A LAZY GOOD FOR NOTHING AUTHORESS). Hope you do not mind!
(MyPrinceOishi08- Thanks for not taking part in the assassination attempt! And yes, it takes a great deal of imagination to think of Himawari and Kabaji getting together. –shudders- Sweet Ichigo- Himawari is like Yukino of Kare Kano in some ways, but I don't intend to make her a carbon copy! LOL! Oh, and I know what you mean about Atobe. How come he's so smexy? BabyKangaroo- Thanks for the review and I wanna say sorry cause it took me a long time to update! –bows- But hey, I submitted a new chapter in a week's time! Me want mochi- Atobe can pull of a magnificent bastard act if he wants to. And when that happens, Himawari would go insane! Haha! Kuroi and Shiroi- Oh thanks! Yup, Himawari does mean 'sunflower' but it's really ironic cause Himawari only has a sunny disposition when she's pretending to be the perfect girl. ^.^; SmartOotori- Aww, shucks! You're making my head so big! Thanks a lot for the review!XxMichyBabyxX- Kabaji is a bit scary, but hey, he's the closest thing to a bestfriend that Atobe can have! I think… -coughs- Don't worry though, there'll no more Kabaji moments in the future for you! u know- Hi there girl! You're the mastermind of all of this! This fic is all your fault! Wafufufufu! SweetSugarPuppy- Yeah, we don't get to hang around anymore. –near to tears- I'll try to drop by from time if I have the time though! Thanks for your continuing support, couz! Schnuppi- I'm updating! I'm updating! See? Hehe! XD )
I'll bribe the readers: Every reviewer gets an Atobe Photoshop Extended SC3! –gets whipped- Okay, not really! Sigh!