AN: Sorry about the delay you guys , Hope you like the update.
Chapter Five
--
"Right I've arrived with the bubuzuke," Haruka said as she reached the cheer squad's current location along with Mai and Shizuru. "No need to keep glancing at me like I've stolen her... damn fangirls."
"Ara if Suzushiro-san has quite finished with berating our squad, we could get onto introducing our newest member."
At the prompt, Mai made her way to the front of the squad and stood next to Shizuru and Haruka.
However before the girl could even bow to introduce herself, she was bombarded with something that she at least, had not been expecting...
"Mai-san welcome to the squad!," one of the girls yelled out as she jumped up and down.
"Please teach us to be as enthusiastic as you Mai-san!," another asked just as loudly.
"With Mai-san here I'm sure we'll be the best squad around!," someone else said happily as the rest of the squad voiced out their agreement.
"I haven't even told anyone my name yet," Mai whispered to herself.
"Oh there's no need for introductions," replied a friendly looking girl that seemed to have materialised suddenly at Mai's side. "They all saw you while you how you were being so ...happy... because of those energy drinks. Believe me, you've earned your right to cheer."
Mai winced at the information. 'How the heck did I behave on that stuff?,' she wondered to herself before turning her attention back to the new girl as she heard Shizuru and Haruka herding off the others for proper practice.
"Thanks umm...," Mai began.
"It's Senoh Aoi," the other girl replied with a smile. "I think we have a few classes together but most of those go by pretty fast with the teacher mostly yelling at your two friends."
"Pleased to meet you," Mai replied sincerely. "I'm Tokiha Mai and sorry about my friends," she added with a sheepish smile.
"At least they keep things interesting," Aoi said with a wink as they walked over to where the rest of the squad was.
--
Meanwhile, Chie led Natsuki, Nao and Yukino to where Tate had efficiently gathered the members of the soccer team.
"Captain, glad you could finally join us," said Tate with an eyeroll.
"Hey hey hey I was on an important errand escorting our new players. You make it sound like I was off chasing girls or something."
"And why would I make it sound like that?," Tate asked.
"Because I'm usually out chasing girls or something?," Chie replied with a shrug.
"Oi, if the friendly banter about girl chasing is over, how about we actually introduce the new team members?," Sakomizu asked as he wandered over to his team.
"Sorry coach," Chie replied while flashing the man a charming smile which immediately made the man sit down.
"Too much energy in that Harada, turn it down a bit would you? I don't want girls flocking here for no reason."
Just before he was able to finish his sentence, a trio of young, attractive girls had already made their way to Chie. The girl in the middle was blushing so much that Natsuki almost felt bad for her.
--
"Go on just give it to her," the girl's friends encouraged.
The girl in question nodded and, putting on her most determined expression walked forward and thrust a flower in Chie's direction.
"H-Harada-senpai... I love you!"
Chie, being used to these heartfelt confessions took the flower and brought it to her nose, closing her eyes for just a moment. Upon opening them again she gave the girl a smile and whispered thanks before tossing her hair and turning her attention back to her team.
At that point the Coach chose to massage his temples while Tate made gagging motions at Chie.
The Captain herself just replied with a poked out tongue at her team mate.
Behind her however, two girls were making excited noises as they dragged their fainted friend to the infirmary.
"Did you see that kyaaa?," one girl asked the other.
"Harada-senpai is soooo cool!," her friend replied.
--
All the while Natsuki was watching Nao as the redhead looked on intently at the scene with her trademark smirk plastered on her face.
At Natsuki's raised eyebrow, Nao offered a shrug at her friend before giving Chie another pointed look.
"Our Captain," Nao said. "The force is strong in that one."
Then Natsuki smacked her.
--
When Tate and Chie had finished making faces at each other, the attention was promptly returned to the three new people wearing the team uniform.
"Right people, we can thank Captain Harada for the interruption later with many stories to be directed at a certain brunette cheerleader..."
Chie developed a slight twitch in her eye at the promise as she looked over to where Aoi was talking Mai through some cheer moves as Tate continued.
"... but right now we should welcome our three newest members to the team."
Giving the suspiciously pale Chie an elbow Tate prompted the girl to lead the three newbies to the front of the team.
"Everyone please welcome Kuga Natsuki, Yuuki Nao and Kikukawa Yukino to the team," Chie said as she gave each person a light shove after she said their names.
After Natsuki's nod, Nao's pose and Yukino's bow and a welcome shout from the team, the coach decided it was about time to stop cradling his head as he stood up, blew his whistle and sent them off on a light jog.
--
Chie ran at the front, setting the pace for the team as she led them around the field with none of the team members complaining as she slowed down close to where the cheerleaders were situated.
"Nice view huh?," Chie remarked with a wink as she elbowed Natsuki who was running next to her.
The girl in question answered with a light blush.
"Ahh come on Kuga, you can't get the girl with that kind of attitude."
"You tell her Captain!," Nao piped up. "When I tell her she hits me..."
Chie gave a laugh and a shrug.
"Don't say I never did anything for you Kuga," she said with another wink before turning the team around and jogging to Shizuru herself.
"Fancy meeting you here Fujino-san," Chie said with a smile. "Under such beautiful weather, on such a beautiful field with such beautiful company..."
"Taking the team for a jog I see," Shizuru replied with a small smile. "Can the beautiful company perhaps do something for you?"
"Well Fujino-san I see that your squad is also in the need for hmm... some warming up? Perhaps we could offer some company. We can't have you beautiful girls running around with no protection can we? Too many young wolves out on the hunt and all that," Chie finished with a grin.
"This is a change Harada-san, you don't usually ask my permission to take a certain member of my squad for a jog... could there be something else you want?"
Chie gave a laugh at that as her eyes settled on a blushing Aoi.
"Who said I was doing this because of what I want?," Chie replied with a wink as she elbowed Natsuki before she ran towards Aoi, grabbed her by the hand and took off at jogging pace once again.
Shizuru felt her eyebrows raise ever so slightly as she witnessed the slight exchange between Natsuki and her Captain. 'Could it be she brought the entire team over so Natsuki could spend time with... us?,' Shizuru wondered before Nao's voice interrupted her thoughts.
--
"Why hello there Mai," Nao said as she bowed in front of her friend. "Isn't this such a pretty day to go for a jog."
"Why yes it is Nao, yes it is," Mai replied as they too jogged off, but not before giving pointed looks at Natsuki who was edging over to Shizuru who was trying not to walk over to the girl herself.
Haruka , who was watching the scene let out a rather loud sigh.
"Geez can't you people even jog successfully?!"
The blonde's sudden outburst made both girls jump and Yukino, who was beside the girl to offer them an apologetic smile.
"Thank you for the encouragement Suzushiro-san," Shizuru said with a smile thinking to herself that Haruka would never know how sincere she was being at that moment. "Shall we go Natsuki?"
The blue haired girl who was feeling rather motivated due to Haruka's less than friendly prompt gave a firm nod and began to jog with Shizuru, both of them feeling out the other's pace until they comfortably fell in step.
--
Closeby on a bench...
"Yo Sakomizu," a redheaded woman said as she sat down.
"Midori-sensei," the man said as he raised his head in greeting. "Aren't you supposed to be training your cheer squad?"
Midori scoffed.
"Come on everyone knows they made me in charge of that just because I'm seventeen and good looking. I don't actually have to train them you know."
"Uh huh," Sakomizu replied simply, as he was sure that he was unable to win any argument with any self assured woman under any circumstance.
"Besides, I thought you'd started training them," Midori continued prompting Sakomizu to shoot her an incredulous look.
"Wait what?," he asked as he watched the other teacher shrug her shoulders.
"Well they are running with your team," Midori answered simply as she watched.
Sakomizu followed her line of vision and dropped his jaw at the sight of his entire team escorting the entire cheer squad on a rather friendly looking jog.
"Geez usually it's only Harada that goes on these little double outings. Now she's taken the whole team too?," Sakomizu said while shaking his head.
"You know what they say about youth Sakomizu... those who have lost it never understand it."
"Who said that? Midori? Why are you walking away with that look on your face? Oi don't leave me with all the responsibility!"
"Sorry Sakomizu," Midori replied. "Can't help you here, after all, I understand them perfectly well," she finished with a smirk.
"Harada!," the Coach yelled out to the girls on the field as he changed tack. "Don't do anything that's gonna make any of those girl's fathers want to kill us both!"
"Relax Coach!," Chie yelled back. "I'm sure their mothers would protect me just fine!"
"Harada bring the team in you idiot! I can't feel comforted when I can hear the winking and smirking in your voice!"
--
"Mou and I didn't even get to run very far with Natsuki," Shizuru said breaking the companionable silence that had fallen between Natsuki and herself as they both watched the exchange between Chie and Sakomizu.
"That's because you two run too slow!," Haruka said as she barrelled past with Yukino in tow.
The sight caused both Shizuru and Natsuki to smile.
"H-Haruka! Slow down!," the mousy girl got out.
--
"Natsuki is very fit for just having joined the team," Shizuru said breaking the silence again.
Natsuki merely nodded as she couldn't bring herself to speak for the moment.
After all Shizuru was in her rather tight cheering outfit and the both of them had been warming up quite well.
Regardless of what Haruka had said, the two of them had been jogging at a solid pace while the others had chosen a more relaxing take on the warm up activity.
Natsuki had set the pace for them as she suddenly found herself with excessive amounts of energy to burn, caused obviously by having Shizuru at such close proximity.
Half way through the jog however, Natsuki wondered if setting such a solid pace was a good idea after all. She found herself breathing harder than normal as would be expected, yet all she could focus on was the breathing of the girl beside her... along with certain other motions the girl was making.
Due to the pace, Shizuru found her lips were drier than usual and darted out her tongue to wet them, unaware that Natsuki was trying not to pass out at the sight...
--
Unbeknownst to them, three sets of two were sprawled out on the soft grass stretching as they watched the high powered couple on their jog.
"They certainly look cosy together," Aoi observed with an 'aww' smile playing on her features.
Mai nodded as the same smile broke out on her lips.
Chie and Nao however had smirks playing on theirs.
Meanwhile Haruka was looking at the two with a frown on her face.
"Hey, why are those idiots still running? Are they trying to one-up me and Yukino? Yukino! We should keep running!"
Luckily for the mousy girl, Sakomizu finally found use for his whistle as he blasted breath through the object until he was pink.
--
"Ok good," he started. "Now that I finally have you all here and that I've made a mental note to mention to each and every one of your teachers that we need to increase the amount of sexual education classes at this school we can get started. Actually hold on why are there cheerleaders here?"
Some of the girls waved at him while the others, like Aoi just lay their heads on their favourite player's shoulder.
"Ok frankly I have no idea what you're all still doing here. And I have no idea why everyone looks so happy sitting here together after I specifically sent you on extensive physical activity. Wait don't answer that. Especially you Harada, I do not want you to answer that."
Heaving a loud sigh, the Coach found himself bringing his eyebrows together at a particular girl he saw sitting before him.
"Fujino? I didn't even know you were here. You don't usually tolerate this kind of group bonding what's the deal? To be honest I thought you'd wandered off again and left your squad to the angry blonde person."
"Hey!," Haruka roared before mumbling to herself about 'damn ingrates' as Shizuru replied.
"Ara... Captain Harada asked me nicely today. And her offer came with a rather nice... incentive."
"Well Fujino I'm glad to see your way of speaking and vocabulary once again surpasses mine. Anyway since now the warm-ups are complete and I'm too afraid to ask you lot to help each other stretch... lets just get everyone suited up and get ready for the game. And get ready individually please. Seriously. Harada... I've got my eye on you kid."
--
Natsuki's eyebrows shot up at the new piece of information as the rest of her teammates rose and after sheepishly offering thanks to the cheerleaders keeping them company had started wandering over the the changing rooms.
"Umm Coach what was that last thing you said?," Natsuki asked.
"I was telling Harada not to have relations with certain cheerleaders while on school property. Again."
"Umm no Coach not about that... what's that other thing you said?," Natsuki replied.
"Oh the match," the Coach deadpanned unhelpfully.
"Seriously the what?," Natsuki asked again.
"The sporting event in which we are about to participate?"
"I'm sure Natsuki will do fine. I have heard she is a very ... talented athelete," Shizuru said, unhappy that Natsuki had worry written all over her features.
Sakomizu raised his eyebrows at the tone and manner Shizuru had taken to addressing one of his players with. Turning to her, he gave a polite nod of the head which she returned gracefully.
"Coach Sakomizu, I wish you good luck for the game," Shizuru said as she realised he was asking for time alone with his players.
"I'll count once again on you and your squad for support, Head Cheerleader Fujino," he replied as he watched the honey haired girl turn to his player.
"Good luck Natsuki," Shizuru said.
"Th-thanks Shizuru. I umm... thanks... uh... I had fun warming up with you."
"And you Natsuki, I hope we can help each other warm up again."
Before Natsuki could compute whether or not Shizuru's last statement was said with or without possible winks, Nao provided the answer for her.
"Smooth moves pup," Nao said with a smirk. "That was hot. That was like word foreplay. Yeahhh."
"Hello? Your Coach is standing right here. Do I have to add Yuuki to the list of people to worry about? Seriously... Harada gives me enough trouble."
"I'm sorry could you hold on a minute?," Natsuki said to the coach as she dragged Nao off by the arm.
--
When they had reached a somewhat secluded spot, the blue haired girl delivered a swift hit to the back of Nao's head.
"Oww! What the heck was that for?!," Nao asked.
"You did not tell me we were actually gonna have to play a game today!," Natsuki replied just as angrily.
"What since you already got to semi-date with Shizuru now you don't want to go all out with the plan? For shame Kuga!"
"Hey that is not what we did today..."
"For shame!"
Natsuki growled again and Nao found herself taking a step backwards a second too late.
"Oww dammit! I didn't know! Haruka didn't tell me either can ya go smack her instead?!"
Natsuki sighs as she watched her friend nurse a sore head.
"And people wonder why I'm sneaky and obnoxious," Nao said. "You kill large percentages of my brain cells on a daily basis. That could be the cause you know Natsuki. The cause!"
"And people why I don't kill you dead."
"Oi two arguing new people," the coach yelled out to them. "I'm fielding you as starting forwards for this game. Make me look good."
"Yes sir!," Nao replied as Natsuki inwardly panicked.
"I don't even know all the rules!," she said.
Nao shrugged and gave her friend a smack on the shoulder.
"Kick the round thing into the square thing. The same as every other game in the world. Duh."