Mushiness alert here~~~

If you want to read some love hate mushiness, you may continue reading~

CHAPTER 7 – INCHES AWAY

"No one will save me" Kuroko Yachiyo thought as she hugged the alien plush toy.

She walked towards the door and tried to push it again. It really won't budge, it's as though something was blocking the way, something heavy. Even if she had the keys, nothing would happen.

"Maybe I could try to find a way out." The whole room was dark and she can't find the switch. "This looks like something out of a horror film, doesn't it? Ufo-chan." [yes, she named the alien toy Ufo-chan. Not U.F.O. but Ufo XD] "I wonder who would hate me this much. "

And so, for minutes, she searched the whole stock room for a secret hidden passage. Instead of finding a secret passage, she ended up finding a lot more plush toys. There's a panda one, a cat one and a penguin one. "Hmn…" She looked at the alien plush and said; "Don't worry. Ufo-chan, I won't trade you these guys."

She hugged the toy again and said; "Talking to a toy, eh, I must be going insane…" she sighed and leaned against the wall. She felt something behind her, a switch. She flipped the switch and the lights turned on.

When everything lightened up, all she saw was piles of stuffs. "I knew it, Ufo-chan. Guys just aren't good with cleaning up. Well, not Tetsuya." She held the toy in the air and said to it in a friendly voice; "Tetsuya is great at chores, and his hard-boiled eggs are the best too~"

She sighed and said; "cleaning this place up looks like a lot of work. But it's not like I could do anything anyway."

back at Kise's and Yachiyo's classroom

Kise looked around the classroom to see if Yachiyo was there, but he couldn't find her anywhere. He stared at her seat. "I never realized before that she's sitting there. I wonder where she is."

Mikage and her friends [Ogata and Kousaka] entered the room with seemingly happy smiles on their faces full of powder.

"Serves her right. That'll teach her a lesson." Ogata said.

"She can't get out of there instantly, ahahha" Kousaka said.

"Shush! Someone might here you!" Mikage scolded.

"Can't get out?" Kise repeated in his head. "I wonder what they did." He thought. "Seems like they picked on someone, it could be meganekko." He shook his head and thought; "That's impossible."

He approached the three girls and asked; "Hey there. Have you girls seen megane— I mean Kuroko-san?"

"Kuroko-san?" Ogata asked.

"Oh you know, the girl with thick glasses that sat beside me." Kise explained.

"Ahmm… No. We haven't seen her." Mikage said. "Right girls?" Her friends nodded and said Yes.

"She must be cutting classes, right?" Mikage said again. And once again her clown friends agreed.

"Cutting classes? Even though we aren't close, that doesn't seem like something she would do." Kise thought. He just smiled at the girls and said; " Okay. Thanks"

Kise went back to his seat and cupped his right hand below his face. "Meganekko wouldn't do that. She must be late or something? But, she always checks her watch and she plans everything."

Kise scratched his head. "Darn it. Why am I thinking too much? Especially about her of all people."

"She seems close to Kurokocchi though… Maybe if I get close to her, Kurokocchi would get close to me again [sundwitch comment: you were never close anyway]. And maybe, I could get him to join our team! But… meganekko hates me."

Kise is constantly changing expressions as he is thinking, from okay to depressed, to happy, then sad. His classmates are now staring at him, wondering why he's making weird faces.

"Maybe I could start a friendship? Yes! I know I would use my charm to get her as my friend!" Kise makes a delighted face. "But, my charm doesn't work on her." Then he makes a depressed face. "But I'd try anyway!" And now he has a determined firing eyes expression.

His classmates just stared at him and thought; "What's happening to Kise?"

back to Yachiyo

Since the lights are now on, you can clearly see the improvement Yachiyo made in the stock room. The balls are now in one big net container and the plush toys are placed on the shelves [with the exception of Ufo-chan that Yachiyo held]. There are also other boxes that are stacked together. But there are still some things scattered around.

"Cleaning this room was harder than I thought. I think the other balls are outside in the huge container." Yachiyo said. "Ufo-chan, class is already starting. It seems nobody knew I was gone." She said to the alien plush toy. "Yacchan, don't you have any friends that will look for you?" she pretended that the toy was the one talking as she held the toy in front of her.

"No, Ufo-chan. But I think someone might know I'm gone. But he isn't my friend at all. In fact I don't like him. And I think he hates me too, he could actually be the one who did this. If so, Tetsuya would not forgive him." she smiled a little at the thought.

"I always see that Ikemen with Tetsuya at their basketball games back in middle school. And up until now, he still watches Tetsuya's games. "She grabbed the toy tightly and her expression changed to annoyed.

flashback of Yachiyo behind the shadows watching Kise and Tetsuya talking to each other

[it's more of like, a flashback of Yachiyo stalking Tetsuya from a far while having annoyed expressions because of Kise's closeness to him]

"I would not forgive him for getting close to Tetsuya! Just like that girl with pink hair. If only she weren't a girl; I wouldn't have treated her nicely."

flashback of Tetsuya saying to Yachiyo; "girls should be treated a lot more delicately".

She grabbed the toy more tightly and forcefully. She noticed that she is squishing the Ufo-chan and said; "Gomenasai Ufo-chan! I just got carried away!"

back to Kise

"Eh? Where is that meganekko? "Kise thought. "Maybe she's cutting classes?"

He looked at her seat again; "Did something happen to her? I hope not. She might be annoying and turtorous, but she's still Kurokocchi's cousin. And she's my classmate too. And our manager."

He scratched his head again and thought; "Maybe I should wait for a few minutes. Maybe she's just late or just doing something important."

back to Yachiyo after a few minutes

The stock room is now a lot cleaner, but not yet fixed. Yachiyo sighed said to the alien toy; "Ufo-chan, now I have nothing else to do." Her stomach grumbled a little and she sighed again; "I am so hungry. I don't think I have the energy to stand up anymore. " She sits down on the floor and hugged the medium sized plush toy. "This kinda reminds of the time Tetsuya saved me. He's my hero. And he never left me. He's the only one who understands me. But right now, I am all alone." She buried her face in her knees and said; "I guess I'd just sleep."

back to kise

"She's not here yet. " Kise thought again. He scratches his head again and then pouts then buried his face on his desk. "GAAAH! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" he screamed.

Everyone of his classmates, including his teacher looked at him.

Of course Kise blushed in embarrassment, but he coughed a little, and raised his hand; "Sensei! May I go out? I need to go do something!"

"You may go, Kise." Sensei replied. "You can take all the time you want."

"EH?" Kise looked confused.

"You may not notice but you've been making weird faces for half an hour now." Sensei said. "Now go."

"EH— Hai! Arigatou sensei!" Kise stood up quickly and ran out of the room.

While he was running at the halfway, he said to himself; "How many times have that girl embarrassed me?" He sighed and added; "I'll make her pay once I find her."

back to Yachiyo

"Ufo-chan. I am so hungry." Yachiyo said to the alien plush toy.

She stood up and looked at her watch; "hmn…. Just a few more hours." She eyed her sleeves and looked at her sweater closely. "Are…. My sweater is ruined. When did it get torn?" She looked at the huge torn fabric. "I don't think I can fix this. And it's really dirty too. " She quickly removes the big sweater. "You know, Ufo-chan, this is my favorite sweater. Tetsuya once told me he liked huge sweaters. And from then on, I always wore huge sweaters." The thought of Tetsuya made her smile again.

back to Kise

"I wonder where she is." He thought. "All I know is that she said she'll go to the stock room." He runs towards the gym and finds the gym door closed. He quickly went inside but saw nobody. "Hello?" he called.

Yachiyo POV

"Eh? I think I heard someone outside." Yachiyo said. She stood up and move her ear towards the door.

"Hello?" The voice called again. "That voice sounds familiar. Is that… Ikemen?" Yachiyo thought.

"*sigh*Sure wish someone else could save me." She thought again. But her stomach grumbled. "Guess I have no choice."

Kise POV

Kise spots the basketball container in front of the stock room door. The huge ball container was rectangular in shape and it contains the basketballs used for practice. It is made of also iron. "Could she be in there?" Kise thought.

"Meganekko? Are you in there?" Kise shouted at the door.

Yachiyo POV

"No choice." She thought. "Yes, I am inside. Help me get out."

"Eh?! Okay wait a sec." Kise said.

Kise then moves the heavy container out of the door. "This is really heavy." He thought.

He then moves the door open and walks in.

"Ah, Ikemen. Ossu. [TL; Yo!]" Yachiyo greeted with her hands behind her back.

"Are you okay?" Kise asked.

"What do you mean? Of course I am okay." Yachiyo said in a plain tone voice.

"Why don't you seem happy to be rescued?!" Kise shouted.

"What do you mean? Why can't you see how perfectly happy I am?" Yachiyo said then she let out a deep sigh.

"Oi! What's with that sigh?!" Kise shouted again. He looked around and saw that the place was almost cleaned except for the other box lying on the ground. He looked at the shelves and moved towards it. "Woah, you did a great job here." He commented.

"It' s not done yet, Ikemen." Yachiyo said.

"Hey! I'm complementing you, okay? Can't you just respond nicely?" Kise shouted back at her.

"Get those boxes and place them on the top shelves." Yachiyo said.

"Sigh.. why do you hate me so much." Kise asked as he walked to the boxes.

"I never said that." She said. "But it's showing." Kise thought. "I'm just not tall enough to reach the top shelf." She continued.

"You should drink more milk so you could get as tall as me, Meganekko. You are way too small. " Kise teased.

On top of one box is Yachiyo's torn and dirty blue sweater. "Eh? What happened to this sweater?" Kise thought. He looked at Yachiyo then realized she actually isn't wearing any so this must be hers.

Now that he realized that, he looked closely at Yachiyo who had her hands behind her back and seems to be hiding something. "I always thought she was small and petite." Kise thought. "She's actually like Momoi-san." He thought as he looked at her from head to toe. [hinting Yachiyo's body is like Momoi. She's actually well-endowed. XD]

"EH?! WHAT AM I THINKING ABOUT?!" Kise blushed a little and looked away from Yachiyo.

"Oi, Ikemen, get on with it." Yachiyo said in a mocking voice.

"Yes, yes, I know. Here's your sweater." He throws Yachiyo's sweater at her and Yachiyo barely catches it. She drops Ufo-chan [which she's hiding behind her] on the ground.

"Eh? Is that, the alien plush toy we found yesterday?" Kise thought.

"Ufo-chan!" Yachiyo shouted. "Eh—" she blushed a little a quickly picked up Ufo-chan. "What? Any problem, Ikemen? " she shouted at Kise while still blushing a little.

"Wait a sec… don't tell me." Kise laughed out loud and screamed; "YOU WENT TO THE STOCK ROOM NOT TO CLEAN THIS PLACE UP BUT TO FIND THAT TOY?! FUWAHAHHAHAHAHHAHA!"

Yachiyo is now blushing hard and said; "Shuttup Ikemen! That's not it!"

"If so, then why?" Kise is still laughing but his voice sounds like it is mocking her.

"That's none of your business! Just do what I told you." Yachiyo scolded Kise.

"Alright Ma'am." Kise said as he turned around to pick up the boxes. "pfttt. Ufo-chan."

"SHUT UP OR I WILL KILL YOU. IKEMEN." Yachiyo said in an ice cold voice.

"Ahaha. Gomen, gomen! I just can't help it. Ahaha" Kise continued. "You actually have a cute side."

.

.

.

Everything went silent for a second.

"Ah— I mean—" Kise said but was interrupted by Yachiyo.

"I know you don't mean that. It's fine. Just put that box up here." Yachiyo pointed at the high shelf beside her. Kise didn't say anything. He doesn't know what to say.

Kise picked up the boxes and walked towards the shelf near Yachiyo.

As he was walking, he accidentally tripped over another box.

The contents of the box Kise was carrying was stuffed toys so the toys scattered in the air while Kise was falling down.

In seconds, Kise fell on top of Yachiyo and they were surrounded by the plush toys. Dust also scattered around them.

"Ah! Gomenasai meganekko! Are you okay?" Kise asked as he sat up. "Yeah, I'm fine, Ikemen." She replied. She sat up said; "Why am I having major bad luck today."

Yachiyo was looking down and then she touched her face. "Aree…" she said.

"Huh? What is it?" Kise asked. He leaned close to her.

"My glasses… " she replied.

Yachiyo POV

Yachiyo looked up and faced Kise. Her face was only a few inches away from him. She wasn't wearing any glasses but she knew that he was near.

Kise POV

"Is this….. meganekko?" Kise thought as she saw her face without glasses. His vision was bit blurry because of the dusts that scattered. But he can still tell, her eyes… He always thought that if she were to remove her glasses it would be small and plain. Her eyes weren't dazed just like Kurokocchi's. They were big and sapphire blue. They seem to sparkle as she looked at him. For a moment, Kise thought that he doesn't know who this girl was.

[here's Yachiyo's expression at that moment: imanager/image_ ?imageid=756896&width=300&hash=f24b1992da0f3ea0b54094ae37dd98e3 ]

For a few seconds, both of them were shocked and frozen. Yachiyo was just staring at Kise even though she cannot see him properly because of her vision. Just the thought of someone near her face made her blush a little. She tried to speak; "I-Ikemen."

"EH—ahh gomen!" Kise screamed. He pulled himself back.

Yachiyo quickly tried to look for her glasses and in seconds, she quickly put them on. Although a little blush is still present at her cheeks. "F-fix this mess. Hurry up and put them on the shelf." She commanded.

"H-hai." For some reason, Kise can't manage to tell any witty response to her obnoxious command. He kept thinking of the face he saw. A very different face. In fact… it was actually….

Cute.

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.

.

TBC

INCHES AWAY END

I wonder what will happen next? Oh my, that was a little mushy. Oh well... I drew that picture of Yachiyo. That's basically how she looked like when Kise stared at her. XD I shall update tomorrow… or the next day.. XDD

I am terribly sorry for my hideous drawing. And the fact that I have no freakin idea how to encode images here. XD

Anyways, I love the reviews~~~ keep them coming~~~ X3

Sundwitch away~!~