Hello all! First an apology for my tardiness in updating. Having a cold isn't really nice. Spent nearly a week recovering from it. Remember to stay healthy, everyone! So apart from getting sicky, I was quite busy with volunteering over the past two/ three weeks.
As an apology for this late update, here's a really long chapter. (Honestly, the word counts gave me quite a shock in the end) =.='
Thanks for reviews, alerts and favs! It was splendid to hear from you all! 'Always look on the bright side of life' has reached the 3000 views mark! This lengthy chapter is also thanks for sticking around! :D
To odi: I'm really happy that you love the story! Oh, but I hope you didn't get into trouble for putting off your homework. (laughs sheepishly)
Sundays were meant for everyone to kick back and enjoy the last day of the weekend.
To have a day out at the mall with friends or families
To finish up that maths homework that's due the next day
To have a bit of a lie-in because waking up at 11am on a school day would only welcome trouble from an unimpressed mother.
Brown eyes blinked blearily in the dim room; the gears in her brain starting to shift into motion. Leaning forwards and squinting at the fuzzy image before her, Akemi was 100% certain her mother didn't look at all, in the most literal sense, fishy.
As some of the sleep clouding eyes began to drift away, the fishy shape sharpened to resemble a hammerhead shark.
Her eyebrows slowly and painstakingly shot up.
That was not her mother (fortunately), imprinted on a large banner, and showing off a brilliant row of prickly teeth.
Akemi glanced around, noting she was sitting alone on a bench in a corner of what appeared to be a hall, surrounded by strangers gazing in wonder at the countless fishes swimming in the humongous tank before her. Despite all the thoughts coming in torrent at once, there was one that stood out most; she was not in her bedroom.
"Akemi-senpai? You're awake?"
At the sound of the voice, said senpai lifted her gaze and was met with a grinning Kirihara; Jackal and Marui standing beside him. They were all dressed unusually in casual clothes. Well, it was 'unusual' because this was the first time she'd seen them out of the eye-blinding yellow and black tennis apparels or their Rikkai school uniforms.
"Kirihara-kun?" she rubbed her eyes. "Why are you here?" she paused to look at the trio. "Why am I here...more importantly; where am I?"
There was a sense of foreboding creeping down their spines as they hesitated. If anything, they were becoming increasingly nervous each second, and it didn't help that Akemi was scowling darkly at them with arms crossed.
"Well?" she growled; her voice low. "Do I need to repeat myself, or do I have to start beating one of you into a pulp until someone does?"
(Akemi's usually gets cranky when she's sleepy)
They swallowed with difficulty; beads of sweat gracing their foreheads. If experiences taught them anything was that crossing an angry female meant they're welcoming early deaths with opened arms.
They didn't need Yanagi to calculate the likelihood of them living to see the sun set.
"Umm…well…"
XXX
(Two hours ago…9:15am)
Like any usual summer morning in a certain neighbourhood, the day started out fine and warm.
At the Noda residence, peace was briefly interrupted by the ringing of a doorbell, announcing the arrival of a group of Rikkai regulars at the doorsteps.
They waited patiently, and eventually, the door swung opened and it was Akemi's mother who greeted them.
"Oh hello, boys," she paused to glance at each of their faces, noticing two were not with them. "What can I help you with?"
"Good morning, Noda-basan," Yukimura smiled, "We're actually heading to Tokyo Sea Life Park later, and I was wondering if Akemi-san would like to join us? She is, after all, our manageress now."
She placed a hand on the side of her face in thoughts. "That's right; she told me about it last night…wait here, please."
The door was left slightly ajar, such that they could distinctively hear the hurried footsteps fading down the corridor and up the stairs. It was soon followed by the hushed voice of Mrs Noda drifting from an opened window directly above their heads. From the sound of it, she was not happy about something –or rather, someone.
About two minutes later, Mrs Noda reappeared at the doorway dragging a strange object behind her.
"Here you go," she smiled cheerily, bringing whatever she had in her hand to her front.
They barely had a glimpse of a befuddled Akemi before she was shoved towards the general direction of the Rikkai captain, who caught her out of reflex before she could hit the ground. By the looks of it, she probably wouldn't mind staying there for the rest of the day.
Mrs Noda chucked a small bag at Sanada, who caught it easily in his hands. "Have fun now!" she called from behind the door before closing it with a satisfying slam.
Everyone stared speechlessly in astonishment as an unmistakable click of the door being locked could be heard soon after.
"Huh? Wh-what's going on?" Akemi mumbled groggily, barely lifting her head before falling back into slumber.
Yukimura glanced down at the girl asleep in his arms. "Well, at least we got what we came here for."
XXX
(Present)
"So…that's the whole story. Fukubuchou had to carry you on his back all the way to here from Kanagawa. He wasn't really happy when Yukimura-senpai asked him-" The laughter died in Kirihara's throat when he noticed a sudden change in the atmosphere. "A-A-A-Akemi-senpai?" he squeaked, starting to inch away from the rising inferno his senpai was giving out. He glanced frantically around, and to his utter horror, Marui and Jackal had already backed away several feet, leaving him alone with a murderous senpai.
Even at the half-awake state, she was still able to appear scary; perhaps the black circles under her eyes helped accentuated the brown pools that were staring daggers at him.
Akemi slowly rose from the make-shift bed, feeling her joints popped and the stiffness of her muscles. "I came home late last night, exhausted from the trip in and out of Kawasaki, last night's victory dinner, which lasted four hours, and then nearly getting mugged on the way home. I only managed two hours of sleep because of the endless cups of green tea I had at the dinner kept me awake," she glowered. "Whose brilliant idea was this?"
"Bu-bu-bu-bu-bu-u-bu buchou's," he stammered through clattering teeth. Kirihara nearly jumped in fright when an ominous cracking sound cut through the thick tension like a knife.
"Really? Well, if you'll excuse me-" Akemi gave her knuckles one final crack. "-I have a 'buchou' to find."
Sensing they might end up answering to the police if they didn't put a stop to this soon, Marui and Jackal reappeared at Kirihara's side (to his relief).
"A-aren't you hungry at all, Akemi-chan?" Marui asked, trying to divert her attention from snuffing out their captain with the first thing that came to his mind. He was met with a death glare, but soldiered on, "Surely you must be starving?"
"Th-that's right! You probably haven't eaten anything since you've just woken up," Jackal added helpfully, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Why don't we look for a nice place to eat?"
Akemi blinked once; the murderous intent burning in her eyes earlier vanished with a poof. She gripped her chin in thought, gazing at them through heavy eye-lids before shifting her eyes to the large tank behind them. "Hmm…that's not a bad suggestion," she muttered.
The trio's shoulders visibly sagged as they sighed synchronously in relief.
"Th-that's great! What would you like to have? There's a cafeteria s-"
"Sushi doesn't sound too bad at the moment," she said in a whisper, not moving from her current posture.
There was a strange look in her eyes. Curious, they glanced back over their shoulders to the tank just as a school of tuna swam across their view, and then slowly and almost mechanically, back to Akemi as the horrifying realisation sank in.
Marui pulled Jackal and Kirihara away to a side for an emergency meeting.
"According to Niou, Akemi-chan tends to hallucinate whenever she's hungry. Apparently, she once believed Yagyuu was a giant octopus, and wanted to catch and bring him back home for dinner!" the red-head whispered in a serious tone, not knowing what the trickster told him was a very different version. (A/N refer back to chapter 2)
"Eh!? Seriously!?"
"That sounds very far-fetch, yet plausible at the same time!"
"Ah! She moved!" Marui exclaimed, startling them back to the situation at hand. They whipped around to see Akemi walking away from the bench. Her eyes were glazed and stared unblinkingly at the tank.
"Quick! Get her before she does something stupid!"
She wasn't even a meter from her previous spot when Akemi was hastily whisked away in the opposite direction. Her protests and demands they let her go fell on deaf ears, as the trio took her as far away from the tanks as possible.
XXX
"Did you guys really have to go that far to take me to the cafeteria?" Akemi scowled at them over her burger, looking positively unimpressed. When Kirihara was forced to (by Marui and Jackal) give an explanation, her frown deepened into a full blown death glare, making the first year wished he had not agreed to come with them. "How can you believe anything that dummy-head spits out from that twisted mouth of his?" she scoffed. "Looks like he will be the first on my hit list," she paused to tear off the lettuce with her teeth. "Is he here at the aquarium as well?" She blinked; the malice in her eyes faded a little when she remembered something. "Actually, where are the others?" she asked, curiously.
Glad for the change of topic, Kirihara was the one who replied. "Niou-senpai and Yagyuu-senpai said they couldn't come because they have something to do. Ah –Niou-senpai gave Yanagi-senpai the money for our tickets, so that's one part of the deal done," he added the latter as an afterthought. (A/N refer back to chapter 4)
"He still owes me lunch though," Akemi snorted in derision. "And the other three?"
"Umm…well, we actually started out as one group, but I guess we got separated in the end."
"How did I end up on the bench alone anyway?"
"We thought it was best to let you rest!" Kirihara said briskly, noticing the familiar threatening glint in her eyes. "It's not like we done it to spite you!"
"Hmm…"
"Aha, l-let's just enjoy our lunch, sh-shall we?" Jackal chuckled sheepishly.
Akemi sighed in exasperation, but agreed nevertheless. She hadn't realised how hungry she was until she had taken the first bite, or how tired she was. The hot food just made her feel sleepier than when she'd woken up on the bench. Not even the black coffee was enough to wake her up.
After clearing the table, the four of them left the cafeteria and returned to the exhibition hall where they had (in her own words) dumped her to look for the other regulars.
"They seemed to have left," Jackal glanced at his phone and frowned, "There's no signal in here. We can't call them*."
"What about the information desk?" Kirihara suggested.
"No, that will be a waste of time," Akemi sighed, after giving the map of the aquarium a quick look.
"Why don't we just look around and tour the place at the same time? Maybe we'll bump into them!" Marui said with an optimistic grin, but dropped it when he realised Akemi had turned around. "Wait, Akemi-chan! Where are you going?"
Akemi, who was making her way back to the bench where she had woken up half an hour ago, glanced over her shoulders at him with a flat look. "I'm tired. You guys go and have fun. Wake me up when it's tomorrow."
But before she could move any closer to the target furniture, Marui grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the next hall with Jackal and Marui not far behind.
Being hauled around like a plush toy seemed to be a new trend.
A trend which Akemi hoped would not last long.
XXX
Dressed neatly in suit, Atobe quietly followed his father down a long white-washed corridor. With them, was the managing director of one of their many branches scattered all over Tokyo.
The Hyotei captain glanced at his father who was deep in conversation with the managing director. Even on a Sunday, the CEO of the most successful security company of Japan would not relax when there was an issue to address. As the only heir to his large company, Mr Atobe had requested his son to tag along and learn a few things along the way.
Of course, like the ambitious and good son he was, Atobe agreed whole-heartedly.
It's not like there was anything to do on a lazy summer weekend, and he wanted to occupy his mind with something else apart from Akemi.
There, it happened again.
Atobe inwardly sighed in frustration. He told no one –not even his dearest mother –about it. Though there was no reoccurrence of the strange flipping sensation in his stomach, he was afflicted with something else, but there were no words to describe it because he had never experienced this before.
As they entered the surveillance room, his mind wandered back to yesterday. The smile Akemi wore when Rikkai was announced as the winner of National Tournament; it was the first time he had seen her looked so…happy, as though even if the world was coming to an end, it wouldn't bother her…and he would feel the same.
Then there was that comment about him being a 'hopeless case'.
He scowled in irritation; how dare she talk to him like that? A commoner from his rival team's school no less. Plus, nobody insulted ore-sama.
"Keigo?"
His father's voice snapped him back to reality. Atobe blinked in an effort to clear his mind. It was then he realised they had stopped in front of huge screen showing a map of Japan with green dots marked on some places. Apart from that, they were surrounded by numerous small monitors showing live CCTV images built into the walls.
"Sorry," he coughed.
Mr Atobe raised an eyebrow but did not pursue the matter any further, and returned to conversing to the managing director, leaving his son to his own devise.
Atobe surveyed the room. He had only been here once a year ago. Nothing seemed to have changed. The only source of light came from the flickering monitors, and the operators' laptops. He frowned; surely it's unhealthy to stare at screens in a dark room for eight hours each day? As he deliberated on raising this issue with his father later at home, one of the monitors to his left caught his attention.
He leaned in closer, squinting at the black and white image of what appeared to be a penguin enclosure.
"Where is this place?" he asked the operator beside him in a low voice, pointing at the screen.
Clearly not expecting to be spoken by the CEO's son, the operator visibly jumped in fright, but was quick to regain a professional composure. He strained his neck over his laptop to look at the screen better. "Tokyo Sea Life Park-"
"Thanks." Atobe was not sure why he's going to do this, but he had made up his mind in a click; it was almost as if he was on automatic mode. He spun on his heels, the rapid movement catching the attention of both Mr Atobe and the managing director. "Please excuse me, father. There is somewhere I need to go."
"Somewhere you need to go?" Mr Atobe echoed in confusion. However, Atobe was already out the surveillance room through the frosted door in a blink of an eye. He arched an eyebrow at the abrupt departure of his son, but said nothing.
Curious, he calmly made his way towards the monitor his son had observed not long ago. He might be getting on with age, but his mind was still sharp. Eyebrows scrunched into a frown, he studied the screen. It didn't take him more than a second to recognise one of the visitors crowding around the penguin enclosure.
XXX
On a nice normal day, Akemi would have enjoyed the aquarium, especially when a certain tennis regular she despised with all her bones had paid for her ticket and was absent from this trip.
But as it was, her mood was rapidly deteriorating like butter melting in the microwave on high power.
Not even waddling penguins could cheer her up.
Bored, she lifted her gaze to the sky. At least the rolling thick grey clouds above the park matched her current gloomy mood.
It didn't help she was not allowed to don't have fun, instead of taking a long nap on the soft grass. Marui made sure of that.
Her mind subconsciously tuned in and out of Marui's rambling about food, as she begrudgingly allowed herself to be pulled along by the upper arm out from the aquarium (as they had gone through all the exhibition halls). Somewhere within hearing range, she could hear the tell-tale sounds of Jackal and Kirihara struggling to keep up with them.
Apart from Marui, the rest of them were panting like mad; making her wondered just how big Kasai Rinkai Park really was.
Akemi did not know how much time had passed upon realising her body was no longer being lugged around like someone's luggage. She heaved a long sigh, drawing in deep breaths to calm her erratic heartbeat. After feeling somewhat less woozy from running around the place like a lost chicken, Akemi picked up her head and surveyed her new surroundings.
There were stalls selling various foods, toys and souvenirs lining up both sides of the wide slate path in a row; one on each side of the path. Colourful banners promoting the individual stalls' goods and activities fluttered in the light breeze. It looked as though most of the park's visitors ended up here. The vibrant atmosphere was a welcoming contrast to the grey sky above their heads.
Even so, Akemi could not muster the energy to match that atmosphere.
Marui grinned excitedly like a five a year old, whipping his head about as he scanned the area for something in particular. "Look! They have mochi over there!" he gasped loudly, eyes shining with glee.
The hold on her arm disappeared abruptly as the bubbly red-head made a dash towards the stall, and vanished into the crowd.
"Oi! Bunta! Slow down!"
Akemi stood unblinkingly even when Jackal and Kirihara ran past her before they were swallowed up by the sea of people.
It was a while before she shook herself from the stupor.
'Gee, thanks for dumping me in the middle of nowhere again. Really appreciate it,' she thought, dryly. Crossing her arms over her chest, she began the difficult task of walking towards the general direction where they had disappeared to. 'I'm already not looking forward to 'managing' these kids,' she sighed in irritation.
As she made her way through the crowd, trying to spot the trio, she had to admit, the stalls were really interesting.
"Akemi-san?"
She snapped her eyes up at the familiar face. "Yukimura-san?" she titled her head in puzzlement, noticing he was by himself. Perhaps Yanagi and Sanada were somewhere nearby and she couldn't see any of them in this crowd.
The Rikkai captain smiled in greeting and stopped in front of her. "How are you today?"
"Umm…fine?" she replied in an uncertain manner, mystified by this random question.
"Are you sure?" he asked; his eyebrow curved into a graceful arch. "You look absolutely knackered. Let me guess, Marui-kun's been dragging you around the park for the whole day?"
Akemi chuckled wryly. "Spot on."
"I see…"he trailed off. Then he remembered something he had with him. Holding up a finger asking her to wait, Yukimura reached into his shoulder bag and pulled out a bar of chocolate. He undid the wrapper and snapped the chocolate in half. "Here, I'm sure this will help revitalise you."
"Thanks!" she grinned.
Her fingers hardly brushed the chocolate when a green blur shot out from nowhere with a whoosh, knocking the chocolate off from Yukimura's hand, before the green thing vanished into a bush beside them.
But it'd happened so quickly, all they heard was the sound of an object hitting the ground with a thud and the rustling of leaves.
Heads bent over the gap between the two, they stared in stunned silence at the chocolate that seemed to have magically disappeared between them, and only to reappear at their feet.
Akemi blinked. "Wh-what was that?"
"I'm not sure," replied Yukimura, bending down to retrieve the dirtied confectionary. He sighed, "That's such a huge waste as well." He was about to make another comment when a beeping sound from his pocket cut him off. He pulled out a phone, and flipped it open in one swift movement. "Is it this late already?" he whispered briskly to himself. He looked up from the phone and said, "I'm sorry, but I need to go, Akemi-san," he paused to pocket the phone, "I'll see you at school tomorrow!"
"O-oh…okay," Akemi replied in a confused manner.
Yukimura gave her another smile before turning around with a goodbye wave.
She remained in her spot until he was gone, wondering what he was late for, but shrugged it off. There was something more important to deal with.
Akemi wandered around the street, taking in the different knick-knacks and sweets that were on sell, and no longer bothering to see where she was going until she nearly bumped into someone.
"I'm sorry!" she apologised, blushing in embarrassment.
She froze in her tracks, feeling her lower jaw slacked at the middle-aged man before her. There was something about this man that made her wonder if she had met him before.
Akemi blinked, noticing the large banner he carried behind his back.
"'Free samples of coffee brewed using the finest coffee beans from Brazil'?" she muttered under her breath. Akemi dropped her gaze and felt her eyes enlarged to the size of platters. The tray he carried in his hands held about a dozen fine china cups, the size of shot glasses, filled with black coffee in each of them.
Out of curiosity, she picked up one of the cups and held it up to her eyes. Careful not to spill the content, Akemi twisted the cup in several different angles, the light catching off the smooth surface. 'They look very expensive!' She paused in the middle of admiring the exquisite cup. Eyebrows scrunched into a deep frown as she brought the cup closer until it nearly touched her nose.
"Go on, and have a try," the man said in a gruff voice, startling Akemi into remembering his presence.
Fortunately, she had a firm grip around the cup. She didn't even want to begin to wonder how much chips of the fine china would cost her entire life to repay.
Akemi contemplated with a deep frown. A small voice in her head wondered why she was hesitating; it's free after all.
In the end, she relented.
"Thanks."
She gave the coffee a sniff and nearly recoiled at the strong aroma, but shrugged and down the entire content in one gulp, and immediately regretted doing so.
The aroma should have served as an early warning signal.
As it was, Akemi hastily returned the cup back to the tray, supressing the incoming coughs behind her hand. She whipped her head about, in search for a nice secluded spot, and eventually found a narrow gap between two stalls that fitted her perfectly well.
"Urgh *cough* that's just *cough* disgusting!" she gagged, not caring about the strange looks she was receiving from passers-by; one of them happened to be Kirihara.
"Ah! I've found senpai!" He bent over, gasping for air, and holding his knees for support. "You got to help us!"
She wiped the dregs of coffee from the corner of her lips with the back of her hand. "Help *cough* with what?" But instead of answering to her enquiry, the first year took her hand and pulled her along into a brisk walk. "Where are we going, Kirihara-kun?"
He sent a toothy grin over his shoulders. "You'll see!"
Akemi bit back a groan, feeling a dull hammering sensation growing exponentially against her skull.
As she allowed herself being led through the crowd, her senses seemed to be sharpening gradually, and her gloomy mood was fading away fast. 'Huh. Must be the coffee…if that's what one would call it like that,' she added with grimace, still tasting the foulness. Never in her life had she drank such a bitter coffee.
They stopped in front of a stall, which was filled with origami of different shapes (mostly of animals) and colours. Squatting down at the base of the stall were Jackal and Marui, immersed in what appeared to be a competition on who could fold the most paper cranes within a time limit.
"Give in, Jackal! You can never beat this tensai!"
"That's too early to say!"
Resting her hands on her hips, Akemi gave Kirihara a flat look. "So? What needs helping?" she asked, airily.
But it was Marui who answered. "We're making a thousand paper cranes for the tennis club! Ojiisan says if we can finish them before he closes down for the day, we get to bring them back without paying for the papers!"
"'A thousand paper cranes'?" echoed Akemi in disbelief, as Kirihara joined his senpais in the origami marathon. She gripped her chins in thought, racking through her brain. "Hmm…I remember hearing about the story of a thousand paper cranes; that it brings good luck."
Someone chuckled. "That's not exactly wrong, miss," a soft gruff voice to her left said. Akemi turned to see an aged, wispy old man peering at them over the origami displays with his arms resting on the counter. His face crinkled when he smiled warmly at her. "A thousand paper cranes will only grant you one wish, not eternal good luck as so many believe."
"Even so," Kirihara started, already on his third crane; his eyes shining in concentration. "We're doing this for the club."
Akemi blinked in contemplation at his words. A sigh escaped her as she squatted beside her friends. "Well, I am their manageress now," she muttered under her breath, picking one of the colourful papers up between her fingers from the stack in front of them. She studied the instruction board carefully before starting her work.
Turned out, origami wasn't as easy as most made out to be.
But after going through her fifth crane, Akemi was quickly getting the hang of it. At least, it looked more like a crane than some disfigured bird of some sort like the ones lying by her feet.
Curious of his senpai's progress, Kirihara took a peek from the corner of his eyes and did a double take; his lower jaw dropping to the ground. Shaking his head fervently, he nudged both Marui and Jackal on the side of their ribs with his elbow, and gestured wordlessly with his head over to Akemi.
The moment the doubles partners' eyes landed on her, they dropped the half completed origami from their grasps. The would-be paper cranes slightly swayed in the air as they slowly drifted downwards until they touched the ground without making a single sound.
It was just impossible, but the number of paper cranes sitting in Akemi's lap was growing at an alarming rate; almost as if they were appearing magically from thin air. Meanwhile, the stack of origami papers, shared between Kirihara and she, was shrinking just as much.
Akemi's eyes were only fixed on her fingers, which danced gracefully with every flick of her wrists, oblivious to the audience gathering behind them.
XXX
Akemi inhaled deeply as she walked at a leisure pace, admiring the view of the park with a wide smile, relishing in the cool breeze that seemed so rare over here in Japan during the summer.
Several feet behind her were the three tennis regulars, all huffing and puffing.
Beads of sweat dripped down his face, leaving some stains on the front of his favourite shirt. Wiping off the irritating substance with the back of his sleeves, Kirihara took a swift glance at his two senpais, who liked him, were struggling to keep up with the only female senpai he knew from Rikkai.
Kirihara never met anyone who possessed so much stamina and speed that could put a lot of tennis regulars to shame.
Either that or she's actually a time traveller from a parallel universe.
He remembered, not too long ago, they had been standing along the shore, watching the hypnotising movement of the large Ferris wheel in the distance as they waited for Akemi to finish taking pictures of Tokyo Bay. One minute she was there poised with her phone, and the next second, she was sauntering off towards the Bird Sanctuary when they looked back.
When they completely lost sight of her around a bend in the path, the trio skidded to a halt, drawing long and deep breaths.
"W-where did she go?" Jackal gasped, fanning himself with his shirt.
Exhausted from the running, Kirihara collapsed onto the floor where he laid spread eagle. "I-I d-don't know!" he wailed, clenching his fists.
Marui cupped both sides of his mouth. "Akemi-chan! Akemi-chaaaaaaa~" he trailed off, feeling a 'little bit' light-headed. He swayed on his spot before joining Kirihara on the floor, out cold.
"Marui-senpai!"
"Bunta!" Jackal shook his shoulders fervently in an attempt to wake him up. "Oi!"
The first year scrambled from the awkward position on the floor. "Fukubuchou is going to be angry!" Kirihara said, fearfully.
"Why?" said a stony voice.
The only conscious tennis regulars blanched. Neither moved as the ominous sound of footsteps stopped very close behind them.
At that moment, Kirihara deeply regretted leaving the safety of his house.
XXX
Birds filled the air with beautiful melodies and the grass rustled in the wind. There was an occasional splash of frogs in the large pond. The clouds seemed to thicken every minute that went by, casting a shadow over the Tokyo area.
The path was empty saved for a single figure walking sullenly with hands in his pockets and head held high. Of course, even in the face of adversity, Atobe Keigo's resolve would never waver for a fraction of a second.
Though he wore an impassive face, his mind was going through his thoughts at break-neck speed as he wondered what went through his head at the surveillance room. He probably had made a fool of himself with his abrupt departure, and knew for certain a lot of questions were waiting for him back at the manor.
But, the moment he recalled the way Akemi looked on the black and white screen, the worries faded as he started to remember why he was here in the first place. Atobe decided that he disliked seeing her looking miserable with her lips pursed into a flat line and brows furrowed into a frown. It didn't suit her at all, and just that thought alone irritated him.
So with that in mind, he had called Michael with a plan; and that was to disguise him as a wandering vendor, giving out free samples of the black coffee Atobe favoured when he needed an extra strong kick to boost his concentration, or when he was feeling a little bit down (thought that's rare). He was confident it would turn that frown on Akemi's face upside down, and it was because of that, Atobe had asked his butler to brew the strongest coffee.
That Rikkai captain nearly ruined his master plan with that cheap, commoner's chocolate, but Atobe was quick to react. Luckily, he had a tennis ball in hand (please, don't ask why).
Pleased with himself, he smirked; nose high up in the air.
Of course, with his head in the clouds and eyes closed, Atobe didn't realise someone was heading his way until they collided with each other.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" he barked instinctively, dusting his front where he felt the impact.
"I can say the same thing for you!"
Recognising that voice, he glanced down at the girl sitting on the ground, massaging her forehead and muttering a string of curses under her breath.
"Akemi?"
Her head shot up at the mention of her name. She dropped her hand from her forehead, gazing up at the 'solid wall' she ran into with wide-eyes. "Keigo-san?" she said slowly, uncertain if the person standing in front of her really was him or maybe she had knocked her head harder than she thought. But there was no doubt, it was him.
Atobe mentally sighed at the way fate kept throwing Akemi his way, but retained his cool composure as he took a couple of steps forward.
Akemi blinked uncertainly at the offered hand before her.
"It's not like ore-sama's hand will bite you," he drawled, rolling his eyes. "Come on! You're wasting time!"
She gave him a brief glare to show her displeasure before placing her hand in his. His grip was strong and firm as he easily hoisted her up onto her two feet.
"Thanks," Akemi muttered, dusting off dirt from her clothes. She raised an eyebrow, only noticing he was wearing suit. "Aren't you hot?"
A smirk crossed his face, his eyes glinting teasingly. "Oh? Are you finally acknowledging ore-sama is overwhelmingly dashing?" He flicked his hair as if to prove his point.
Of course, he took the meaning behind her words the entirely wrong way.
"Please, don't flatter yourself too much," she laughed sarcastically. "The frogs here are far more attractive than you," Akemi said drily, earning an affronted glare from Atobe.
"Perhaps you're just too blind to see it," he remarked, eyebrows twitching in irritation.
Akemi shrugged her shoulders dismissively. "What are you doing here, by the way?" she asked, diverting the topic. "I didn't think the Atobe Keigo would grace a commoners' park with his 'noble' presence."
That question took him off guard, and he faltered a little under her intense stare which was brimming with genuine curiosity, but he quickly recomposed himself. Atobe would never tell her the truth even if he was held at gunpoint, which meant he needed to think of a story fast.
"Father's security company happens to operate in this area too. Ore-sama's here to meet with the managing director in his place; he's unfortunately abroad today."
It wasn't entirely the truth, but at least it was close enough to make it sound plausible without making the whole lying game nerve-wracking for him. He possessed a guilty conscience after all even if he didn't openly show or admit it to everyone.
Fortunately, Akemi bought it.
"Where to?"
"France," he replied shortly.
"I see…" she trailed off. Akemi was going to ask if he missed his father whenever he's away for business trips, but thought it better than to pry into something as personal as this.
Both didn't realise for a long while they were walking side by side at a comfortable pace, but neither brought it up as they were actually enjoying each other's company (though they won't admit it); their childish snarky comments about one another put to one side (for now).
Akemi couldn't remember when was the last time they had a civilised conversation - if ever. Her head was slightly titled at an angle as she listened attentively to Atobe reminiscing about his old life in England, and then fondly describing to her (in full details) every nook and cranny of his first house, which unsurprisingly turned out to be a castle ('Probably the reason why he calls himself king,' Akemi mused, supressing the giggles that threatened to escape) which his family still owned and used whenever they're in Britain.
"…and there's a lake right behind the castle. It's larger than these two ponds put together," Atobe gestured at said water body with his thumb as they walked away from the bird watching window. "Actually, it's probably slightly more than half the size of this park," he rubbed his chin, gazing up at the dark clouds. "Ore-sama used to skim rocks over there for hours – what!?" he demanded hotly, glaring at the strange look Akemi was giving him.
"Seriously!? For hours?" she exclaimed incredulously; one eyebrow raised into an arch.
A tiny hint of blush appeared on his cheeks, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. "Do you have a strong opinion on that?" he retorted curtly.
She shrugged her shoulders with a 'I'll-leave-it-for-you-to-decide-on-the-answer' smile, eyes glinting mischievously.
Not bothering to wait for his reaction, Akemi skipped ahead of the Hyotei captain, who was steadily turning purple with pent up rage, humming a cheerful tune.
Atobe slapped a hand over his head where he could feel a headache coming on. 'This girl keeps driving ore-sama up the wall. Why did ore-sama bother to come all the way to Kasai Rinkai Park again?' he sighed, irritably. He was about to demand her to stop this nonsense skipping around the park like a nutter when Akemi stopped abruptly.
Head strained upwards, she stared longingly at the slowly rotating structure reputed as Japan's largest - the Diamond and Flowers Ferris Wheel.
The tempo of her humming to the song, Lullaby of Birdland*, slowed as she admired the view in a contemplative silence; all the time wearing a faint smile. She was soon joined by Atobe.
Akemi spun on her heels to face him with a wider smile. "Do you want to ride that Ferris wheel?" she asked.
"Eh? The two of us?" He left the word 'alone' unspoken.
"Of course!" She rested her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow at him. "Unless…your imaginary friend is with you again then-"
"For the last time, Akemi," he gritted his teeth, "Ore-sama. Don't. Have. Any. Imaginary. Friends."
Sensing she was standing very close to an edge of a border, Akemi threw up her hands before her. "I'm only joking!" she chuckled sheepishly.
Atobe sighed in exasperation, rolling his eyes.
XXX
The queue for the Ferris wheel was shorter than usual.
Arms crossed over his chest, Atobe glanced up at the thick clouds. It looked as if it would pour soon; most likely a reason for the abysmal number of people lining up outside the ticket office.
Akemi joined him in gazing at the sky. Brown eyes widened slightly in awe when the deep rumble of thunder sounded from a far distance.
"Do you still want to get on the Ferris wheel, or are you going to stand there and watch the clouds roll by for the whole day?"
Snapped from her reverie by his voice, Akemi brought her eyes back down.
The Hyotei captain was already standing beside the opened barrier with two tickets in his hand. He raised an eyebrow expectantly. "Well?"
Akemi hurriedly made her way towards him, muttering an apology when she halted.
With a nod, he turned and gave their tickets to the inspector behind the rail.
The inspector only gave the small pieces of paper a flitting look before glancing to Atobe and then to the girl standing patiently beside him. His beady eyes seemed to rest on Akemi (whose attention was on the Ferris wheel before them) a little too long for the Hyotei's captain liking.
Atobe cleared his throat loudly, startling the inspector from his incisive staring. He gave him a warning look as they were led through the opened gates and into a passenger car.
Akemi thanked the inspector from her seat on the bench with a smile as the door was shut.
Atobe for his part, gave the (in his own words) creep a last glowering look before seating himself across Akemi, who immediately scooted closer to the side windows.
They spent most of their time in the passenger car in relative silence, which was occasionally broken by the snapping sound of Akemi's phone camera as she took pictures of the view.
Although he had been on the Ferris wheel once, Atobe took no interest in admiring the outdoors, and stared boringly at the imposing silhouette of Mt. Fuji in the distance. After all, he'd seen the Tokyo skyline so many times from the air. He could say what building was where even with his eyes shut.
He shifted his gaze to the clouds above. His eyebrows were scrunched into a frown as he studied the beautiful, yet intimidating, formation.
"Say, Keigo-san."
"What is it?" he asked in a casual manner without looking back at her. 'Was that a lightning flash in the clouds?'
"Let's take a picture together," Akemi suggested with a soft smile, holding the phone between the hands on her lap.
Atobe blinked once in surprise, a subtle hint of red forming on his cheeks at the word 'together'. Without turning his head around, he shifted his gaze to her. Just when he thought he had recovered from that strange disease, his stomach did a somersault; though his face remained impassive. It didn't take him more than five seconds to yield to her request.
Beaming happily in thanks, Akemi shuffled to her feet and sat beside him.
He tried not to fidget much at the closeness of their bodies and maintained the 'Ore-sama-smirk' as she took a quick snap.
Akemi scrutinised the picture. "Hmm…the lighting isn't really good," she muttered; back at her seat. "But I can improve it when I get back home later," she added with a determined nod. Turning to Atobe, she asked, "Do you want me to send it to you?"
The young man in question pondered over her suggestion. "Ore-sama don't see why not."
"Great! Then I'll need your number."
He didn't reply immediately, for a large part of his mind had frozen over. Somewhere in a dark corner, a voice, which horribly resembled that of Oshitari's, told him that it should be the other way round and that being given a number was equivalent to receiving a confession from the other party. Though he knew this was not the case, Atobe was glad the passenger car was dark enough to hide his scarlet cheeks as he dictated his number in a steady voice.
Just as Akemi saved his number, the phone decided it had enough for today and switched itself off. 'Should have charged it last night while I was still awake in bed,' she frowned.
By the time they left the Ferris wheel far behind, it was already drizzling and the wind was picking up speed.
Akemi lifted her gazed up just as a fork of lightning ripped through the sky, illuminating the surrounding path for a fleeting moment.
She stared with her mouth slightly agape in wonder as more lightning flashed above their heads. The accompanying thunderclaps were just as mesmerising.
Atobe smirked in amusement at her, and didn't drop it when she looked his way and gave him a death glare as if daring him to laugh.
She crossed her arms in a defensive manner, puffing out her cheeks, which had a hint of redness, and turned her head away from him.
It wasn't as if she had never seen one before. To Akemi, lightning strikes seemed to be rare occurrence back in Scotland. The only time she had seen them was when she was walking home from school in a hailstorm. Fortunately, it wasn't one of those larger ones, but it had hurt very much, and it didn't help the fact that it'd happened in the middle of a cold, harsh winter.
Another lightning flashed followed by a deafening clap of thunder, startling the both of them. As the thunder faded into a deep rumble, a torrent of rain fell over the park.
Akemi grimaced as her clothes were starting to absorb the rainwater. She blinked in surprise when something warm was placed over head, covering her shoulders.
She glanced at the object, holding the smooth (and not to mention expensive) fabric before her eyes. Spinning on her heels to face Atobe, she was about to open her mouth to protest when he cut her off.
"Leave it," Atobe said in a firm tone, eyes narrowed warningly at her. The rain strengthened, soaking his head.
Without another word, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into a run towards the observation building in the distance.
She gripped the blazer tightly around her chin to prevent it from falling off her head. Akemi glanced worryingly at the back of his shirt, which was completely soaked through.
Atobe meanwhile remained unperturbed by the torrential rain as he spoke to Michael on his phone.
When the call finished, he quickly returned the phone to his pocket. 'Nearly there!' He sped up, tugging her along.
Once inside the safety of the glass building, they collapsed onto the bench. Though Atobe immediately regretted it and jumped back onto his feet, disgusted by the feeling of sitting on cold metal with his trousers being soaking wet.
Unlike him, Akemi was relatively dry; his blazer was large enough to cover most of her back. Her wet legs would dry out with a few wipes.
"I love thunderstorms, but definitely when I'm indoors where it's nice and dry," Akemi said, pulling the dripping wet blazer off her head with a sigh of relief.
Atobe grunted an agreement, raking a hand through his drenched hair and inadvertently causing a few strands to stick out at odd angles.
Biting back a laugh, Akemi gave his blazer several flicks, careful not to spray water at him, before placing it beside her to dry. As Atobe busied himself with fixing his hair by the window opposite her, she glanced around the place which was completely void of people. Only the white benches, which stood in a row on each side of the long building, were their companies.
Outside, the rain had become so heavy, it was nearly impossible to see through the thick blanket.
"Looks like we're stuck here until the rain stops," she grumbled, lips turned into a frown.
"Not for long." Akemi gave him a puzzled look. "Ore-sama have requested Michael to pick us up. He'll be here soon," he added, bending sideways to allow the water drip onto the floor as he wringed his hair.
She nodded silently. Her frown deepened at the sight of him. "Shouldn't you take that off before you catch a cold?" Akemi gestured at his sodden shirt.
"Hmm…you're right." Without giving it a serious thought, he began the task of unbuttoning his shirt.
But first, he needed to get rid of his tie. In one graceful movement, the tie slipped off from his collar.
If it was just that alone, Akemi would be fine with it.
A blush crept up her face as his hands moved to undo the top button. Akemi's eyes widened, horrified at what was going to be a very public display. "Wh-what are you doing!?" she shrieked, sounding absolutely scandalised.
Atobe raised an eyebrow at her, perplexed at the random outburst. "Just what you wanted Ore-sama to do –" He cut off abruptly when Akemi leapt to her feet, still blushing furiously, and marched towards him.
"You're not supposed to do that in public, you big idiot!" she snapped, stopping in front of him. "What are you? A closet pervert!?"
This time, it was his turn to blush (though it was milder than Akemi's).
He had grown to expect positive reactions whenever he strutted around (bare chested or not) with the usual air of a king, that he had forgotten that Akemi was not like any other girls, who wouldn't mind it at all and would happily give their lives to be in her place.
"Ore-sama will never sink that low!" he defended hotly.
"Then how are -" she cut off abruptly, remembering the wet shirt he still had on him. "Urgh! Never mind!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the male washroom at the end of the building.
An amused smirk crossed his features at the sight of her red ears.
When they stopped outside the washroom, Akemi gave him a push towards the door. "Now, be a normal person and take it off inside!" she pointed at the door.
Atobe complied, not without giving her a teasing smirk before the door was slammed in his face.
Akemi sighed in exasperation, instantly dropping into a calmer composure. 'There should be an end to his narcissism'
Turning around, she walked back to the bench and sat down.
As she waited for Atobe, the rain outside had weakened considerably. She could just make out the shadow of the Ferris wheel through the rain.
With her head turned around to the window behind her and eyes fixated on the brilliant lightning performance outside, Akemi didn't realised he had returned and was standing directly in front of her until he made his presence known by whispering 'Boo!' into her right ear.
Startled, Akemi collapsed onto her side. Luckily, the adjacent bench was close enough to catch her fall. She scrambled away from Atobe who was grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"What was that for!?" she demanded, glaring at him.
"Payback," he snickered, amused by what he thought was shyness. "For all the teasing Ore-sama gets from you."
He remained calm; even when Akemi looked as though she would pounce and shred him to pieces.
Then, her face relaxed and the glare was replaced with a scowl, but there was no hint of anger in it. In fact, Atobe thought she looked guilty. "You're so mean," she mumbled, diverting her gaze.
At that moment, a part of him felt terrible for upsetting her. He remembered why he was here, at Kasai Rinkai Park, and not shadowing his father at the security branch.
A shadow fell over her form. Akemi blinked in surprise at the hand that had appeared before her eyes. She lifted her head to gaze in puzzlement straight into Atobe's eyes which were staring back at her intensely.
He waited patiently as she made a decision, not dropping his hand.
At last, she tentatively placed a hand on his, feeling his fingers curled around her hand before grasping it. She blinked at the gentleness in his grip, as she was led from her awkward position on the bench to stand on her feet.
"Akemi…Ore-sama isn't offended by your constant teasing," he assured. A sincere smile crossed his feature. "Infuriating they may be, but Ore-sama finds it a nice change from all the niceties Ore-sama get every day. We're friends aren't we?" Akemi nodded in response, feeling rather stunned by his maturity. "Friends tease each other right?" This time, it took a long moment for her to nod in affirmation.
Atobe watched (feeling extremely pleased with himsefl) as her bright smile slowly worked its way back.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind her, catching his attention. He looked over shoulders, and his breath hitched in his throat.
"Keigo-san?" Akemi frowned, wondering why he had suddenly gone mute and was staring wide-eyed at something behind her.
Curious, she glanced over her shoulders, and at the same moment, a lightning flashed. It illuminated the observation building for a fleeting moment, casting long shadows over the long, spacious room…and Sanada's eyes.
Neither the two spoke or moved; petrified by the haunted, ghoulish face (even if they knew who it was) behind the window, and even when it disappeared from view, they didn't react until the door to the room burst opened with a loud bang.
In a blur of movement, Sanada reappeared between Atobe and Akemi, glowering menacingly at the former.
A hand shot out and wrapped itself around Atobe's neck before the Hyotei captain could react.
"Genichiro-san! What are you doing!?" Akemi exclaimed, alarmed. The colour of Atobe's face was steadily changing into a sickly shade. "Release him!"
But Sanada ignored her. "How dare you tried to harass her!?" he barked, feeling his blood boil. He didn't even want to begin to think what would happen if he hadn't decided to look for Akemi at the observation building, knowing the rain would force her into finding a shelter.
"O-O-Ore-sama d-don't underst-stand what you're o-on about," Atobe gagged, clawing at the hand around his neck. He could feel his knees quivering from the lack of oxygen, but refused to let himself fall.
"You're barely dressed and alone in the observation house with her. It's not hard to put two and two together," he growled.
"Stop it, Genichiro-san!" Akemi shouted, tugging at his arm. "No one's harassing me! And Keigo-san will never do that!"
The grip around Atobe's neck loosened at her statement, allowing him to breathe easier; though Sanada still did not release him.
The Rikkai vice-captain flicked his eyes to Akemi, who glared defiantly at him. "Then?"
"You've jumped into conclusion didn't you?" It was a statement. "Come on. Let him go before he faints."
But before Sanada could even move a muscle, the door opened again.
"Keigo-sama, I'm here with your -!" The bag, Michael was carrying, fell onto the floor with a dull thud. He gaped at the scene before him; his butler instinct kicking in. "Unhand the Young Master, you delinquent!" he barked, rushing towards said 'delinquent'. "Take this!" He swung his right leg high as he neared the target "Atobe Butler Technique: Lightning Cut!*"
"Wait, Michael! Everything's just a misunderstanding!" Akemi cried.
The butler eyes widened at her words, but it was too late to retract. The heel of his polished shoe was about an inch from Sanada's head when a leg shot out from nowhere and blocked the lethal kick.
Atobe caught himself before he could hit the floor when a dumbfounded Sanada released him. He staggered backwards, wearing the same stunned expression as the Rikkai vice-captain and his butler.
"A-admirable, Akemi-sama," Michael managed to utter after a long pause. He withdrew his leg, prompting Akemi to do the same. In an instant, he straightened his back and reverted to professional mode. He cleared his throat. "If you don't mind I ask, what rank are you?"
"Black belt, First dan," Akemi replied with a smile.
He nodded in approval, that block was incredible. "Have you thought of going further?"
She blushed at the praise. "I have never given it a serious thought to be honest," she laughed sheepishly.
"Lessons? Black belt?" Michael and Akemi turned to the owner of the voice. Atobe blinked, stumped.
A smirked appeared on her face. "I'm a karateka (practitioner). Though I haven't been doing any practicing for months," she added as an afterthought, resting a finger on her chin. She glanced at Sanada, who had not moved from his spot since and was as pale as sheet, then to Atobe, who was being given a fresh change of clothes by Michael.
As they waited for Atobe, Akemi preoccupied herself by tapping lightly on Sanada's face in an attempt to wake him up from his stupor. Michael took the task of folding the sodden blazer and shirt before placing them neatly in the bag he'd brought with him.
The butler noted with delight; the rain had softened to a light drizzle.
When the Hyotei captain exited from the washroom, dressed in another dark suit ('He must own thousands,' Akemi thought, drily), Sanada was already back to his usual stoic self.
Walking towards the two, Atobe noticed (with glee) Akemi seemed to be giving the Rikkai vice-captain a stern lecture, but stopped abruptly when he was near.
She nudged the side of Sanada's ribs with her elbow, narrowing her eyes in a threatening manner when he cast a hesitating glance at her.
In the end, he resigned with a sigh. Sanada took a step forward. "I apologise for strangling you just now. Should have known better than to…ahh…'jump into conclusion'" He repeated Akemi's words. Holding out a hand, he continued, "No hard feelings?"
Atobe replied with a firm handshake and his usual Atobe-Keigo-smirk.
Michael cleared his throat. "Apologies for interrupting, but it's getting late, Keigo-sama. Oku-sama* has specifically asked for you to return before dinner."
Atobe nodded. Turning to Akemi, he asked, "Seeing as you're not alone, Ore-sama assume you don't need a ride?"
'He remembered yesterday's conversation,' she mused as she shook her head in reply, smiling in appreciation. Sometimes, it was that easy to forget he could be very kind.
Atobe, in his usual way, smirked in return, uttering a farewell to Akemi and Sanada.
Before he could reach the door Michael held out for him, he was stopped by Akemi. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her as she fumbled inside her bag.
She smiled when her fingers found what she was looking for. "Hold out your hand."
Behind him, Michael's bushy moustache quivered in amusement when his Young Master complied without missing a beat. He watched as the lady, who had unwittingly caught the Young Master's eyes since the dinner with her family, placed an origami in his hand.
Atobe brought his hand closer for inspection. "A fish?"
"It represents determination and strength, and it's a charm for good health and happiness," she said, folding her hands in front of her.
He smiled at the little gift, but before he could voice his thanks, Atobe found himself engulfed in a hug.
Akemi stepped away from him. "Thanks for accompanying me around the park today, and for lending me your blazer. But also," she paused to catch her breath, "for that coffee! I would still be walking around like a zombie, if it weren't for it."
Atobe blinked in surprise. From the look in her eyes, she had already known it for a long time. "H-how did you know?"
"That fine china cup. It has the Atobe logo on it."
He raised an eyebrow, amazed at her sharp perception. That logo was actually hidden within the intricate design of the cups.
"You're the best!" she added with a beam.
XXX
The two Rikkai students stood side by side outside the boundary of the helipad, waving goodbye to the sleek, black helicopter. The Atobe logo, similar to the one Akemi found on the cup, gleamed in the sunlight that fell through the gaps in the clouds.
(They've –well, mostly Akemi –had decided to see them off)
Michael glanced back at the Young Master, who was still wearing the goofy smile the moment he climbed onto the helicopter. A small smile made way across his aged face.
Ah, to be young again.
XXX
Akemi trailed a few steps behind Sanada with her left cheek puffed out.
When the helicopter had disappeared from view and they were walking towards the shore, she was reprimanded by the good vice-captain for:
Running off on her own
Worrying Marui, Jackal and Kirihara
Nearly causing their near demise if Yanagi and Yukimura had not stepped in
Not charging her phone
And the list went on….
She frowned in irritation at her own stupidity and carelessness (she had actually forgotten about Marui, Jackal and Kirihara after –quite literally –bumping into Atobe).
"Akemi-chan!"
"Akemi-senpai!"
She looked up. There running towards them, waving their arms enthusiastically in the air, was the trio.
Akemi did not complain when Marui pounced on her.
"I'm glad you're safe!" he wailed, squeezing her tightly as if she was a teddy bear. "After what happened to you last night, we thought we've lost you!"
"Isn't that a little bit overdramatic?" Jackal asked in a deadpanned manner. He sighed in exasperation when Kirihara joined in the hug.
"Senpai!" the first year sobbed.
Akemi patted their heads awkwardly, mumbling an apology.
A voice behind them interrupted the 'emotional reunion'. "Oh? I see you've found her."
They turned to see Yanagi and Yukimura standing casually behind them.
"Buchou!" Marui and Kirihara shouted in greeting at the same time.
Said captain smiled in response.
"What is it?"
Everyone froze for a long moment, realising that voice although familiar, came from the other end of the path. They turned their heads mechanically in sync to face Yukimura.
Kirihara rubbed his eyes frantically and squinted. "Why…are there….two buchous?" He glanced to the confused buchou in front of their little group, and then to the other buchou standing very stiffly behind them.
Though the two looked very similar, their clothes were different.
Akemi frowned in pensive silence at the 'front buchou'. He was the 'Yukimura' she bumped into earlier at the stalls.
The 'front buchou' cracked an icy smile, his equally cold eyes resting on the 'back buchou'. "If you have so much time masquerading as me, Niou-kun," he paused for dramatic effect, "Why don't you spend it more productively; like tennis for example? Hmmmm?"
Heads turned back to the other 'buchou'. Beads of sweat dripped down his face, creating a pool at his feet.
Beside the supposedly fake buchou, Yanagi, who seemed to be the least person (apart from the 'front buchou') unperturbed by the situation, grabbed a fistful of the blue hair.
Jaws hit the ground when a wig, along with a mask, was pulled off to reveal the perpetrator.
"AHHHHHH!" Kirihara and Marui exclaimed in shock, jumping off Akemi and pointing fingers at him.
"Heehee. Puri~" The Trickster snickered, enjoying the reactions.
"This is really good quality material," Yanagi casually said, studying the mask from all angles. "You really had us fooled, Niou. I did find it odd when you called me about the trip to the aquarium today," he added to the real Yukimura. "I remember, at Jackal's restaurant, you briefly suggested holding the trip next weekend."
The buchou nodded, still smiling serenely. "After yesterday's tournament and dinner, I thought everyone would be too exhausted if we were to come today."
Kirihara wheeled around to face Yanagi. "Then why didn't you say anything about it until now?"
"It was only an assumption," the Data Master simply stated with a shrug.
The first year's shoulders sagged, suddenly looking very tired. "And I missed four anime shows today," he whimpered.
"Niou! You will pay for wasting our whole day!" Marui declared loudly.
A cracking sound brought everyone's attention to the stoic vice-captain, who was emanating a deadly aura. "Like he said," he cracked his knuckles again.
The Trickster put one foot backward, blowing raspberry, which infuriated Sanada even more.
Not wanting to put themselves in the line of fire, Marui, Jackal and Kirihara sidled away to a safe distance. Yanagi briefly calculated the possibilities, and took one step to the left.
Sanada took one step forward, cracking his knuckles; but before he could set his foot down again, a hand rested on his arm. He paused, casting a questioning look at Akemi, who without saying another word, broke into a run.
Her eyes burnt with a strong murderous intent. "I could have spent the whole in a warm, comfortable bed, instead of lumbering around the park like a zombie!" she shouted on top of her voice. "It's off with your head!"
Niou could have bolted when Akemi leapt from the ground, swinging her leg towards his head.
But as it was, he had fallen under Yukimura's Yips.
TWACK!
The trickster flew a couple of feet through the air before landing on the soft grass with a resounding thud, and laid there, hands twitching from the shock and pain.
Feet touching the ground right at the spot where Niou was a few seconds ago, Akemi gave the twitching body a brief glance. She had made sure her target hit the soft grass. She wouldn't want to deal with the authorities or get imprisoned for inflicting critical injuries.
Everyone, in their own ways, appeared taken aback by the sudden display of martial arts; something neither of them would think she was capable of. Despite being a witness of the confrontment earlier, Sanada was still shocked at the fact she's a Karetaka.
The trio swallowed, chancing a few glances at Niou. That could have easily been any one of them today.
"Ohohoho. That was a good kick. You're really full of surprises, young lady," said a familiar voice.
They turned to see that it was the old man from the origami stall.
Chuckling heartily, he walked towards Akemi and held out a cardboard box. Inside, were the paper cranes she and the trio made.
"Ahhh! We've forgotten to take them with us!" Kirihara exclaimed, peering at the colourful origami.
"That's a lot of paper cranes," Yanagi noted. "Did you guys make a thousand of them?"
"Yup! Well, actually Akemi-chan made more than half of them. You should have seen it; she was on fire!"
'That probably was the coffee,' she mused, accepting the box with a nod of thanks.
"Now we can make a wish for the tennis club!" Kirihara punched the air in triumph, grinning toothily.
"Why don't we leave that until tomorrow? It's getting a bit late -" Yukimura said, prompting a chorus of affirmation. He glanced at the still immobilised Niou, and then slowly shifted his eyes to Sanada, who felt an impending doom. Yukimura smiled. "-though someone will have to carry him home."
XXX
(Three hours later…at the Atobe Residence)
At the sound of his phone beeping, Atobe paused in the midst of reading a Shakespeare novel to glance lazily at the screen.
His brows furrowed into a frown at the unknown number, but opened the message out of curiosity.
As he read the text, a smile grew on his face. When he reached the end of the text, there was an attached picture of Akemi and him at the Ferris wheel. His eyes rested for a long time on the beaming Akemi, before he flipped the phone shut.
Reference:
* I'm not entirely sure if it's possible to receive signals inside Tokyo Sea Life Park as I've never been there before. But for the purpose this chapter, I've made it impossible to get phone signals.
*Highly recommend all of you listen to Aoi Teshima's cover version of Lullaby of Birdland! ;D
*Influenced by Moriyama Paul, a butler, from Keroro Gunsou
*Oku-sama = madam
Phew! Congratulations for making all the way to the end of this chapter!
PS. Getting hit by hailstones, no matter the size, isn't fun...