A/N: I'm back!! I haven't updated for a while since I spent a few weeks thinking what I'll write on my chapter 6 and I came out with this.
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Chapter 6: Stuck
Running wasn't a good idea, but she had no choice. She can't just stay standing in the phone booth forever. Instead, she ran into the pouring rain.
She shielded her head with her arms as she looked for the nearest sanctuary to get shelter. A small store room was in sight and jauntily, she went into it.
"Um… Excuse me…" she called out the man standing in the shadows. "Would you mind if you let me stay for a while? You see the rain is pouring hard and-"
"No," the man cut her off.
"Why not?"
The man fell silent. Just then, light shone to reveal his face. Recognition stabbed them like arrows with their names written on it.
"Tezuka?!" the girl's eyes widened.
"Ichigo…" the man bit back.
"And what exactly are you doing here?" Ichigo questioned.
"Didn't you read the sign? This is the tennis club store room. And as the captain, I should take care of this room."
"Is that so?"
Ichigo received a nod in reply.
Suddenly, a sound made them stop and looked back at the door.
"Hey!" Ichigo yelled out. "We're being locked up!"
Tezuka banged on the door. "Looks like we're going to stay here."
"Stop being so hopeless" she scolded then banged on the door as well.
"Good things come for those who wait. Let's not get careless and let's just wait for someone to let us out of this place," he sat down.
"How can you be so calm?! Don't you have any homeworks? Don't you have any family that will worry about you?" Ichigo kept on stomping her foot on the floor.
"You're being hysterical."
"I am not!" Ichigo kicked the pile of boxes; creating a small avalanche and in an instant, buried her.
"Now you see that happens?" Tezuka looked down at her.
"Well you could've at least helped me!" she stood up.
Tezuka suddenly looked above; making Ichigo look at where he is looking.
"A window?"
"It must've been hidden behind the boxes you have kicked," he stretched his arms and reached for the window sill.
"Hey! I got an idea!" Ichigo climbed on Tezuka's shoulders.
"And what exactly are you doin-?"
"Don't look at my skirt!" Ichigo quickly cut him off. "I'm trying to open this window… just cooperate with me"
Unfortunately, Ichigo outbalanced and fell down.
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An hour passed. Ichigo gave up and sat three feet away from Tezuka.
"It's really hot!!!" Ichigo removed the ribbon from her uniform. "One minute I'm soaked in the rain then the other minute I'm dehydrated! This is not going to be good for me!"
"This room is built with thick walls plus there are no ventilations except for that window there," Tezuka pointed at the window.
Ichigo sighed and leaned at the wall while Tezuka wiped the sweat off his forehead then took out a pork bun from his pocket.
"Do you want some?" he knelt down and gave some of it to Ichigo.
"No! I'm perfectly fine!" Ichigo turned her head away from the brown eyes that were looking straight at her.
"Alright then," Tezuka was going to take a bit out of his pork bun but was stopped by Ichigo's grumbling stomach.
"It's better if you eat this," as he gave the pork bun to Ichigo. She cautiously took it; worrying that it might contain cyanide.
"Aren't you going to eat?" she asked her companion.
"No… I already ate some of it a while ago… so I'm quite full"
Ichigo noticed Tezuka's weird expression; as if he was easing pain.
"It's better if we share," Ichigo cut the pork bun in half and gave the other to Tezuka. "I know that you are hungry, you're just hiding it."
They both ate quietly.
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Another hour passed. Still, they were sitting three feet away from each other. Tezuka was reading a book that he got from a nearby box while Ichigo was daydreaming. Suddenly, a sound made Ichigo jump and look at where it was from.
"Hey… did you hear that?" she looked at Tezuka. Her heart was beating fast. She was the type of girl who could be scared with just a sudden black out.
"No."
Cowardly, she moved closer and closer to Tezuka. Now, they were three inches away from each other; their hands nearly holding one another.
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Tezuka sighed and looked at the girl beside him; who's nearly at the verge of sleeping. Once again, he turned his eyes at the book, but still he kept on looking at her.
With a blink of an eye, her head suddenly leaned on his shoulder. Tezuka flinched at the action but seized himself.
His neck and shoulder stiffened. He's not used to things like this, having a girl leaning on his shoulder. He can't just push her away; nor slap her for her actions. Instead, he just sat there, and looked at the sleeping girl.
Her face was so solemn and she looked vulnerable. Her brown hair was blocking her face; giving him the urge to put it behind her ear. He slowly tucked it but then it fell back. He tucked it behind her ear again still it fell back. He was about to snap but his patience held him back and he tried tucking it again; now, her hair was completely tucked behind her ear. He sighed.
Tezuka slowly observed the face of Ichigo. And with the involuntary move of his hand, he pinched Ichigo's cheek. Curiosity led him to continuously pinch her cheek until her mouth opened, letting a mouthful of saliva flow down his prestigious Seigaku tennis club shirt. Once again, he flinched.
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Losing track of time was not his style. But finding out that he fell asleep on Ichigo's head made him ask himself, "What happened?"
Tezuka jarred out of his sulking as Ichigo woke up.
"I can't sleep," she rubbed her eyes. "And my cheek hurts too…"
Tezuka coughed.
"I want to go home!" Ichigo complained.
"We have no choice"
"Well we have now! Stand up Kunimitsu!" she quickly ordered.
Without any choice, Tezuka stood up and Ichigo climbed on his shoulders.
"Nearly there-" Ichigo outbalanced, bringing Tezuka with her. Dust exploded as the two lay at the top of each other.
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"Damn! If I hadn't forgotten that tennis racket, I didn't have to go here in the middle of the night!" Taka came cycling down the storeroom. "Here it is!"
Taka opened the door and was startled by the sight. "Te- Tezuka?!"
Tezuka woke up from his unconsciousness, as well as Ichigo.
"Tezuka…" Ichigo's eyes opened and immediately saw Taka standing frozen by the door.
"I- I ju- just for- got- something… I'll go get it," Taka acted as if he didn't see anything.
"Ge- Get off me!" Ichigo quickly pushed Tezuka off her. "Li- listen! This is not what you think"
"No… it's okay… I was just about to leave you see…" Taka smiled. "Just continue what you were doing"
Ichigo blushed and punched Taka, making him unconscious. "YOU'RE NOT LEAVING THIS PLACE ALIVE!!!"
Her eyes were red and she panted heavily. "I'm so embarrassed!" Ichigo ran off.
Speechless, Tezuka just carried the unconscious Taka home.
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"Taka!" Taka's father came running to his son, who was being carried by Tezuka. "What happened to him?"
"He- He tripped and fell over a rock," Tezuka lied. At times like this, he can't tell the truth.
"It's a good thing you found him. Thank you very much!" Taka's father bowed down.
"It's nothing."
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"What? I don't remember anything that happened last night," Taka scratched his head.
"Alright… You should go back to your practice now…" Tezuka ordered. It was a good thing that he didn't remember anything, maybe it was because of Ichigo's punch.
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Chapter 6: The end
A/N: How was it? Hope you like it… Review please!
