Chapter 6
Asuka was puzzled when Fujima entered the clinic with a grim look on his face. And it didn't take a genius to figure out that he was in a real bad mood. She wanted to ask him about it, but decided to keep quiet when she saw the dark glow in his usually sparkling blue eyes. Instead, she decided to let him feed Erwin, a red-feathered tropical macaw owned by a local bank executive and the shelter's noisiest tenant, thinking that making him work would take his mind off whatever's upsetting him.
" Oh, and, Kenji," the older woman averted from her paperwork to look at Fujima only to find his back facing hers. When he didn't turn, she smiled at him anyway, " Could you, please, check up on Adrian a little later after you have finished?" She was referring to the three-month old Dalmatian that was nearly ran-over by a mountain bike because the cyclist obviously has a severe case of narcolepsy. (A/N: Anyone you know? *evil grin*) " I had to pick up some stuff from home so I forgot to record his stats earlier this afternoon. See that he's doing fine, ok, Kenji?"
The parrot boisterously flapped his wings and then cocked his small head.
*Gwak* " Kenji!" *Gwak* He gleefully mimicked the name upon hearing it twice.
" Ok." Fujima said listlessly, flatly, ignoring the loud and harsh-voiced bird.
In the middle of feeding the parrot, Yuri arrived. And in contrast to the pokerfaced, unfriendly and crabby-looking point guard, she was in her best mood, vibrantly smiling at anyone or anything she sees even before she came barging in to the clinic. " Konnichiwa, minna!" She greeted audibly and blissfully, shattering the still air that was lingering within the four corners of the room.
The girl had no idea how that simply lightened Asuka's current sentiments. " Yuri-chan!" She said in surprise, her face now bright and lively.
Yuri nodded and turned to Fujima. " Hi, Kenji!"
Asuka noticed how his back stiffened all suddenly…and how he deliberately knocked over the opened plastic container of bird pellets causing it to spill all over the floor. " Sorry." He just said and started to pick up and dust all the multi-colored tablets by hand to return to its container.
Yuri was gaping at him, puzzled.
Asuka gently pulled Yuri by the arm and made her sit on the empty chair in front of her table, " Yuri-chan, I heard you won the Guitar Solo Championship the other night! Omedetto!"
The glint in her eyes returned. " Hai! Arigato, Asuka-san!"
" So where did you guys celebrate?"
Yuri smiled even more brightly. " There's this neat café where Hisashi and I went and it was fun! Wish you were there."
Hisashi. Fujima thought, groaning inwardly as he took a handful of birdfeed and slowly placed it on the feeding dish inside the parrot's cage. Just what I need. He strained his ears to hear every word the two women were saying, especially those coming from Yuri.
" After that, we went to this karaoke bar. IT WAS A RIOT! Hisashi's singing his heart out. And we even had a duet…!"
Hisashi this, Hisashi that – it was all Kenji could hear. He wasn't interested with what that stuck-up sang or ate. He just wanted to know what Mitsui's relationship to Yuri is. Why does it have to be that complicated?
" Well now, surely that sounds like a lot of fun! D-Demo…" Asuka smiled in embarrassment. " Who is this Hisashi again?"
Yuri nearly tipped out of chair. " Oh don't tell me you've forgotten about him already!" She said incredulously, giving the older woman a look of playful displeasure.
Asuka sweatdropped.
" Hisashi. You know," Yuri was making wild gestures with her hands, prompting the other to start recalling. "Hisashi. Hisashi!"
Confusion scrawled Asuka's face for a moment then comprehension dawned upon her. " Oh! Hisashi! You mean the guy that you…" she stopped when Yuri smiled and nodded. Asuka's eyes widened, " You mean, t-the guy who went…the one that was…" Yuri kept on nodding more firmly and briskly after finally realizing that the older woman was beginning to gain memory of him in their first meeting. "Ah…so that's Hisashi!"
Fujima imagined himself putting down the container of bird feeds and moving quietly towards the chattering women just to squeeze the life out of his boss right in front of Hajime Yuri. " This is just great!" He closed his fist on the bird pellets he was holding.
The parrot boisterously flapped his wings and then cocked his small head.
*Gwak* " Hisashi!" *Gwak* He gleefully mimicked the name after hearing it countless times. This time, he sounded more enthusiastic each time he speaks of Mitsui's name.
Kenji could see his fist gracing Erwin's face and then making a hotpot out of it.
Steadily, rigidly, his clenched fist loomed over the macaw's feeding dish. From Kenji's hand, pulverized bits of what used to be or what used to look like three-centimeter thick pellets slowly fell onto the dish. At the corner of his eye, he could see that the two women were now giggling while Asuka was playfully nudging Yuri whose face was now beet red. The teasing only made him feel worse. He wasn't able to get some answers about Yuri's relationship with Mitsui; and now he kept on hearing from her, in radiant tones, on how wonderful and sugoi the shooting guard from Takeishi is.
What a life.
" Oh, Kenji-kun?" Asuka's voice cut off his thoughts. " Could you please feed the puppies now? They're getting noisier by the second." The whines and wood scratches of the little furballs from the other room were beginning to increase.
Fujima sighed. " Yes, ma'am." He said bleakly and banged the plastic container of food pellets inside the top shelf cabinet. Thoughtlessly, he closed the small door with so much force that he almost destroyed it.
The two women would jump from their seats at every thumping and pounding sound they heard. Fujima went straight to the puppies' room, and the sound of the door slamming behind him reverberated in the entire clinic.
" What's with him?" Yuri asked after a second's silence.
Asuka shrugged. " He's been very quiet since he arrived here."
Fujima Kenji? Quiet? Now that's new. Yuri went to the parrot's cage and frowned at what she saw on the feeding dish. " Asuka-san, what did Kenji feed Erwin? Fish food?"
" Fish food? What are you talking about? I gave him the pellets myself." The vet curiously peered over her assistant's shoulder.
" Well, what do you call that?" She pointed at the small lump of fine powder on the dish.
Asuka stared at the feeding dish, blinking. " Oh my, I couldn't have possibly mistaken the fish food for bird feed. I think something's bothering him."
Sensing what the other woman wanted to tell her, she gave the older woman a reassuring smile. " Ok. I'll talk to him, Asuka-san." Yuri said. " What could that be, I wonder?" She muttered as she went towards the puppies' room.
*Gwak* " Hisashi!" *Gwak* Erwin said gleefully.
* * *
Yuri entered the room and closed the door quietly behind her. She saw that Fujima was in the middle of sterilizing the baby bottles used to feed the puppies. " Hi 'ya, Kenji!" She said cheerfully.
Fujima turned to look at her, his face impassive. " Hello." He said in a reserved tone and resumed to his work.
Yuri blinked. What happened? Fujima is not this formal when it comes to greeting her. In fact, he was always jolly, even flirtatious, in greeting her. " You okay, Kenji?" She asked.
" I'm fine." He said.
" Okay." A pause. " Anyway, are those bottles ready?" She indicated the baby bottles being sterilized.
Fujima nodded as he took one bottle using the forceps he was holding.
Yuri watched him closely as she opened the can of baby formula with a slight frown on her face. What could possibly be troubling him? Was it something she did? Yuri racked her brain for answers but it did not give her any, not even a clue.
She sighed as she scooped the powdered milk from the can and took the newly cleaned bottle. " Are you sure nothing's bothering you?" She asked again, concern etched in her features.
" I'm sure." Fujima said as he took the bottle from her. " One is to one ratio." He muttered as he was filling the bottle with hot water.
" Really?" She persisted, putting four scoops of milk in another bottle. " Check if the formula's not too hot."
" Yes." He said, putting a few drops of milk on his wrist to check the temperature. " Hmm…this one's ok." He added upon feeling that the liquid was not too warm.
Yuri was eyeing him thoughtfully as she scooped one puppy in her arms. Sighing for the second time, she then stared into the soft brown eyes of the little Saint Bernard. In response, the puppy licked her cheek and she smiled. " You're so adorable, Roi." She whispered to the animal.
Fujima's mood blackens every second as he watched her with the pup. It only reminded him of the night before; where he saw the way she was looking at Mitsui, so full of warmth and happiness.
Unlike the way she looks at him. She never looks at me like that. She never did. He thought, feeling like a hurt child. If he does not see the hostility in her eyes, like when the first time he met her, he sees a friendly but distant look instead.
Taking another puppy named Jay in his arms, he began to feed it. However, his mind was not on the job he was doing right now.
Yuri also began to feed the little dog in her arms, occasionally sneaking glances at Fujima. Is he really all right? She wondered. This is really, totally unlike him…
Sensing her gaze, he turned to her. " Nanda?" He asked.
She had to control herself from blushing. " It's not like you to be the silent type. Care to tell me what's wrong?"
" I told you, I'm fine." He said, adjusting the puppy in his arms.
" Are you sure?"
She really is unrelenting! He thought, wanting to smile at that. " Didn't I just tell you that I'm fine?"
For the third time, she sighed. So stubborn! Then a sly smile formed on her lips. Why not tease him? He's so darn serious. " Gee…and I thought you're jealous that Hisashi and I went out last night." She said mischievously, sticking out a tongue at him.
Fujima nearly exploded upon hearing that remark. Me, jealous?! Jealous of that…Mitsui Hisashi!? Who is he, anyway?! He's not even special! He's just…
Yuri's would-be boyfriend, that's all. A voice inside him taunted.
URUSAI!!! He shouted at the voice. He could already picture himself stomping out the manifestation of his inner voice, as one would usually do to a bug.
" Of course not." He said calmly and indifferently instead. " Don't be so absurd."
She was still grinning. " Okay, fine. Oh drat! I forgot to turn off the stove!" She groaned and started to rush towards the burner.
" I'll take care of it." He said since he was closer to the range and turned it off. She gave him a grateful look. Maybe he's in a tantrum because I didn't include him at the conversation with Asuka-san. Yuri thought. Dang, I really should be more sensitive around people next time.
No, she would make it up to him right now. " So, would you like to know what happened to Hisashi and me the other night?"
I'm not interested. I'm not interested. I'm NOT interested! " Ok. Shoot."
Yuri smiled, happy that she would have another listener to her story. " Ok, so Hisashi and I went to this place, Harry's Hideaway, it's just a few miles from here…hmm, so we ate a lot there and he get to pay for everything. Isn't he sweet?"
Every word she said about Mitsui is like a knife stabbed inside him. What was she thinking about relating the whole story all over again?! Was she even aware that she is killing him slowly? He didn't want to listen to it, knowing that it would hurt him more, but no matter how hard he tried to shut those words out of his mind, he can't. Admittedly, he's drawn to it, regardless of the pain he was feeling inside.
So…this is what being tortured feels like. He thought.
" You know, Kenji, Hisashi's really a great guy once you really get to know him. You were rivals before…"
…until NOW.
" …but that was only in basketball. I hope you could see him beyond that." She smiled looking up and sighing wistfully. " Hisashi – so gallant and such a gentleman. Oh! Maya's so lucky!"
Fujima's train of thought was cut short by the sudden interjection of that name. " What about Maya?" He asked dumbly, wondering what Yuri's best friend had to do with their foreseen love-triangle. To be exact, what does Maya have to do with Takeishi's shooting guard?
" Oh. Haven't I told you yet?" She inquired back then shook her head. " Aye! Stupid me! Looks like I haven't. Hisashi's been courting Maya since the IJH started. "
WHAT?! Fujima could have blurted this right at Yuri's face when he felt his mouth fell slightly open but no sound came out. He just stared at her saying nothing, eyes wide and round. So, all this time he was being jealous for practically nothing?
Aho, Kenji! Aho! Aho! Aho! Aho! Aho! Aho! …
What surprised him was the fact that he was even jealous in the first place.
Yuri stared back, blinking, her face changing the longer he looked at her that way. She was beginning to think that she might have said something really amazing.
Feeling the strange look on him, Kenji cleared his throat as he regained his composure. " Ah…" He plainly remarked and nodded, trying hard to keep his impassive and calm tone in check.
It was at this precise moment that the puppy he was feeding suddenly puked all over his shirt.
" …AAAHHHH!!"
Yuri gasped. " Good grief, you're a mess!" Putting down Roi, she promptly went towards him. " Here, let me help you wash that up."
Both of them cleaned the mess on his shirt and the dog who caused it.
" Too bad Lucille's not taking a bath today." Yuri teased as she handed him a towel. " You could get her cleaned up and that gunk on your shirt."
Fujima gave her a mock glare, but there was a certain glint in his eyes that was not there before. " Very funny, Yuri." He said.
She just laughed and proceeded to dry the puppy. " Get changed already." She said.
Fujima was walking along the hallway of the clinic, whistling a happy tune as a smile played across his face. He was still whistling when he arrived at the locker room and took out a fresh cotton shirt. He closed his locker and looked down. His smile widened.
It was Roi, the little Saint Bernard, looking up at him with those adorable puppy eyes, his tail wagging happily…
… his basketball shoe between its teeth.
" Hey…" He squinted at the dog looking oh-so-kawaii at his feet.
Suddenly, Roi darted out of the locker room. " Hey! Get back here with my shoe!" He shouted as he ran after the puppy.
Despite the fact that Roi scurried away with his brand new bash, Fujima wasn't really angry at all. Even when he and Yuri found it brutally chewed and half-buried at the backyard covered with dirt and soil, he wasn't that incensed despite the fact that he gave the Saint Bernard a scathing lecture about the difference between a bash and a chew toy.
Truthfully, the dog can tear it into bits for all he cared. There are more important things to think about other than shoes, right?
:: Disclaimers::
For the nth time, Slam Dunk is not mine but by Takehiko-sama.
:: Author's Note ::
*Gwak* R & R please! *Gwak*
:: sPoOf ::
Calliope Medina Erato: CR lang ako ha. (I'm just going to the CR, ok.) *points at monitor* 'Wag mong gagalawin 'yan, kung hindi... (Don't touch that, or else…)
Lain: *salutes CME* Siyempre naman! (Of course!) *flashes a cheesy Sendoh smile*
*CME leaves the room*
*Lain plopped on the seat in front of the monitor and started highlighting the part where Kenji got puked by the dog*
*Pushed the DEL button and started re-typing*
" …AAAHHHH!!"
Yuri gasped. " Good grief, you're a mess!" Putting down Roi, she promptly went towards him. " Here, let me help you wash that up."
To their surprise, a pair of eyes popped out of the yellowish gunk on Kenji's shirt and, almost immediately, pointed something that resembled a small laser blaster at Fujima's face.
"Hands up, Human Female! We're taking over this planet!" The creature may only be a couple of inches, er, tall, but with a baritone coming from something that small, one would likely be compelled to comply.
And so, Fujima raised his hands.
Aghast, Yuri began to scream. "He's NOT female! Can't you see that he's a guy?!"
The little slop was startled at what the other female just told him. Slightly lowering the weapon, he began to eye the stunned human more speculatively. Silky brown hair, enticing blue eyes, perfectly shaped nose, naturally kissable lips, smooth glowing skin…
Sweatdrop.
The little yellow alien glared at Yuri and pointed the laser blaster back at Fujima. " BAKA! Who the hell are you kidding!? This here human is obviously FEMALE!"
" N-Nani?!"
" A futile trickery. Believe it or not, our species have developed more brain cells than any average human being in your planet, clever enough not to easily fall for such a childish untruth. You should know better than to underestimate us."
"Childish untruth!? I can strip him down to prove that I'm not lying!"
"Irrelevant! Your desire to be the dominant female amongst yourselves is undoubtedly clouding your logic. It is evident that she is highly attractive than you, and most likely to find a suitable consort for procreation than you, so you want to disprove of what I think is already obvious. Frankly, your kind…"
Yuri was becoming annoyed from all his technical bull. "Why I ought to…!"
*Gori mode: CME glonked lain's head*