Thanks for waiting. I usually like uploading on Monday, but I didn't feel like it was ready so I added more and created this:
The title is "For You." (see what I did there?)
Chapter 32
The stoic redhead watched as the clumsy girl fumbled with her set of house keys. He watched as Sayumi's face changed from light pink to a deep shade of red. The nervous girl silently scolded herself for reacting so violently to a certain memory that somehow crept up from the back of her mind. It didn't help that the same boy she embraced previously in the doorway was standing closely behind her. Her hands were shaking from embarrassment and it was inevitable that the keys fell to the floor. Sayumi immediately bent down to pick up her keys when Akashi beat her to it. She glanced at her companion who took the initiative to open the door for her instead. Sayumi lowered her head shyly behind him as he opened the door to her house.
As the wooden door opened slowly, the two teenagers found the elderly couple staring in surprise. It was strange given that the one who opened the door and the first one the elderly saw come in was Akashi and not Sayumi. The guest stared at the elderly who stared with equal blankness. Sayumi, sensing the awkwardness of the situation, managed to greet them.
"T...Tadaima." The girl reddened from hearing how high pitched her announcement came out. The girl's shyness yielded sly grins on the elderly couple's faces.
"Okaeri." The wooden floor creaked as Obaa-chan approached the guest. The redhead bowed slightly to show his respect, impressing both of his hosts. The sweet older lady took the redhead's hands into her own. "You can call me Obaa-san." She smiled warmly at the reserved boy.
"I'm Akashi Seijuurou. Thank you for having me Obaa-san. Ojii-san." The redhead nodded and smiled gently, much to Sayumi's surprise. Akashi was slightly different from usual. Perhaps it was the regard he held for his elders, but there was also a noticeable softness that she sensed.
"Dinner is almost ready." Obaa-chan casually signaled her guest and Sayumi to assist with setting up the table. Her relaxed attitude filled the guest with an even more familial feeling-something that he barely remembered.
As the older woman was adding her final touches to the Japanese-styled dinner, Ojii-san slipped into the seat across from the quiet redhead. Sayumi sat next to the boy and watched silently as the two men exchanged stares. After a few seconds, the old man chuckled followed by Akashi grinning. The two already took a liking to each other. Sayumi realized how similar Akashi was to Ojii-chan—they both had an "old" sense. Her laughter chimed in as well.
"Sayumi. Stop laughing and help." Obaa-chan's voice bellowed from the kitchen as the teen rushed in the kitchen, almost slipping on the smooth floors.
...
"Itadakimasu." The group said in unison before picking up their chopsticks and picking up the first bite. Sayumi ate a few bites before turning to see Akashi who still had the unused pair of chopsticks in his hand.
"Akashi-san." The old woman smiled gently and urged him to start eating. He looked at her and smiled as he took the first bite of his dinner. Dinner was much different from what he was accustomed to. It was not simply sitting quietly and feasting by himself on a big and empty table. This time, he sat on a small snugged wooden table that fitted only four people. His elbow constantly bumped into Sayumi's left arm. And for once, the food was simple traditional cooking embedded with love and a homely taste-the best taste.
It was a nice change to see some expression in Akashi's eyes, no matter how slight it was. Sayumi couldn't keep her eyes off of this never before seen side to her friend. Obaa-chan noticed Sayumi smiling gently and reminded her to eat before her dinner turned any colder. The girl's grin grew wider and began shoving rice in her mouth. Obaa-chan responded by shaking her head at the girl's lack of manners.
Obaa-chan enjoyed watching the two teens eat. She could tell that both appreciated the dinner. When Sayumi realized that Obaa-chan was staring at Akashi, she giggled. Akashi turned to look at her and then to the elderly lady who was indeed watching him.
"Seijuurou. Obaa-chan and Ojii-chan never had children. Don't mind that she's staring at you." Sayumi smiled mischievously at the older woman who glared at the teasing girl before continuing to eat.
"Sayumi-san is a very direct girl. You agree Akashi-san?" the elderly woman asked, completely ignoring the girl's previous statement. The redhead nodded in full agreement. Sayumi glared at him for siding with the elder.
"Sayumi-san. Learn to be more refined like Akashi-san." Sayumi responded to Obaa-chan's advice with indifference. The elderly woman teased the girl in return. "Akashi-san. Sayumi-san always dresses especially nicely on Sundays." This statement, on the other hand, affected Sayumi who started coughing. After recovering from almost choking, Sayumi swallowed and added her comment.
"I do not." Her face was beet red, both from the choking and embarrassment.
"The girl gets up earlier than me to go to the shogi center." Ojii-chan looked specifically at Akashi as if implying something.
"I do not." The girl repeated with gradually diminishing confidence and the punctuality of the elderly's statements.
"Sayumi-san. Why don't you prepare some tea." Obaa-chan hinted to the dense girl who answered with complete unawareness.
"Obaa-chan. I don't want tea. I'm going to play basketball later, I rather drink something cold."
"Not for you. For our guest." Obaa-chan shook her head in front of her guest as if showing how hard it was to deal with a teenage girl. Sayumi glanced at Akashi who didn't speak, but obviously didn't reject the idea of tea. Sayumi released a little grunt and trudged into the kitchen to prepare the tea.
"Thank you for coming over Akashi-san." The older woman looked kindly at the redhead. She already formed a profound liking to the boy who held a good sense of mannerisms and etiquette.
"It's my pleasure to be invited." The boy's sincere response was greeted by another warm smile from the elderly couple.
"Sayumi-san is a good girl. After her brother left her, she hadn't been the same. Though Sayumi-san is not related to us, we treat her as our own. So we are happy that she was able to find people who she can trust."
Akashi simply nodded. He was speechless. He didn't understand how the old couple would care so much for a girl that was nothing more than their tenant. The old woman, from experience of reading people, smiled lovingly at the confused boy.
"Akashi-san. We would love to have you come visit more often. That is, if you don't mind my cooking." Akashi blinked at the unexpected invitation. "Don't be shy to drop by. That girl's always too shy to ask when you walk her back home." The redheaded nodded and Ojii-chan laughed with his wife.
A few minutes were spent on idle conversation, but it was expected that the topic would be brought up-Sayumi was still in the kitchen. After a little longer of waiting, Obaa-chan entered the kitchen where she found the girl mixing in tealeaves.
"Obaa-chan. I don't know how to prepare this. Why don't we buy teabags?"
"Sayumi-san. Tea is best when prepared the traditional way." The older woman took the kettle from the girl.
"But the process is so long and complicated." The girl leaned on the table as she watched Obaa-chan take over the tea preparations.
"That's why it produces a taste that can't be imitated with processed teabags." The older woman chuckled at the lazy girl. "Don't you agree?"
"It's best when Obaa-chan makes it." The girl flashed a smile to her landlord.
"At least you know that much." The older woman handed the girl the tea tray. "Bring it out now." Sayumi took the tray obediently and brought it to the two men playing a game of shogi in the living room.
Sayumi poured the tea and handed the first cup to Ojii-chan. She went on to bring the other hot cup to Akashi. Akashi's hand brushed against hers as she handed his cup to him. He thanked her calmly with a peaceful smile, making her blush slightly. Sayumi dashed quickly to the kitchen after serving the tea. Only after hiding in the kitchen did she dare breathe. She didn't expect that a simple smile from Akashi could have such an effect on her. She sought temporary distraction in washing the dishes.
After finishing the cleaning, the girl got changed and went downstairs where Akashi was already waiting. The two said their goodbyes and walked out together to the park where the rest of the group were waiting.
...
Aomine grinned and lifted his right hand above his head. A tiny grin appeared on Sayumi's face as she jumped and high-fived her teammate.
"Me too Kine-chin." Murasakibara lifted his hand at least three heads above her. Aomine snorted as Sayumi pouted at her first failed attempt to reach the giant's raised hand. The girl pulled Murasakibara's hand down and smacked it hard. After commemorating her victory with her team, she turned to the last member-Akashi. She wasn't sure if she should approach him but much to everyone's surprise, he held out his hand too. She smiled and a clap sounded.
The rest of the group went over to take a rest and left one by one, leaving Sayumi and Aomine alone. The girl looked innocently at the boy next to her. His eyes reflected what she was thinking as well.
"Not tired yet are you?" Aomine had a smug look on his face.
"Not even." Sayumi picked up Aomine's ball and began dribbling. "Twenty-one." The boy grinned and pushed off the bench to join her on the courts.
...
The next day was a busy day for both the model and the helper. To promote Kise's lovable and friendly image, his manager arranged a fan service where fifty lucky fans had the chance to meet and take a picture with the model. It was a hectic day as the fans, who upon meeting their idol, didn't leave until the set employees escorted them out. Most credit was given to the exhausted teenage girl who managed to appease the fans while sending them out at the same time.
After four long hours of smiling at people and the camera, Kise finally sat down on his chair and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He was exhausted, but was motivated when he saw how diligently his friend worked behind the camera. He then looked around for a while but picked up no hints as to where his little friend went off.
"Kise. Come back." The manager beckoned Kise to walk back to the shoot. "We need you to take one more picture." Kise looked at his manager confused.
"I counted fifty." Kise honestly didn't have the energy to take another picture, especially not when he had to attend extra basketball practice because he skipped for the fan service event.
"Just one more." Kise nodded understandingly. He slowly slid off his comfortable chair, straightened his shirt and walked over with his long legs. As the model approached the camera once more, he waited but no one appeared. "Who am I taking a picture with?" the impatient blonde asked.
The model looked to the left direction where he heard quiet whispers coming from his co-workers.
"Go. He's going to leave if you don't go now."
"You deserve this after all the hard work. Go on."
"You look so adorable. Don't be shy. It's just one picture."
"But...Are you sure? I don't think..."
Before Sayumi could finish, her boss pushed her out to the set. She almost tripped on the long wire, but was caught by a firm pair of hands that held her in place. She brushed her curled hair out of her face and looked up to see a handsome blonde who looked at her with just as much surprise.
"She's the last one." Kise's manager smirked and went into another room to get some papers.
Kise looked at the girl shyly rub her arm while trying her best to keep her balance. Her peach shoes complimented her vanilla-colored single shouldered top. The four-inch heels exaggerated the length of her legs in the light blue skinny jeans she was wearing. The stunned model blinked twice and swallowed before he took her small hand into his and led her in front of the camera with him.
The boy wasn't the only one turning a little red. Under the light makeup the employees applied on the girl, she was blushing as well. The shy girl didn't look up at the camera for even one second.
"Move closer!" the cameraman shouted. The two awkwardly shifted, only to be yelled at again. "Look at the camera and move CLOSER!"
The frightened girl heated up like a volcano. She didn't know that being behind the camera could bring so much stress and pressure. It didn't help that she was standing right next to a photogenic model.
"Kise. I don't think I-"
Kise pulled the stuttering girl closer to him and bent down and whispered to her. "Smile." He smiled first.
The smile Kise gave the girl was different from all the others he had shown during the photo shoot. That smile was meant specifically for Sayumi. Even a dense girl like her recognized that his smile was for her. The girl looked up at Kise and smiled for him as well.
Click. A flash. Followed by another. And then another.
The surprised Sayumi tried turning, but Kise held her in place and smiled. Click.
"Great photos! Otsukaresama deshita!" the cameraman called and the cleanup crew bombarded the set.
Sayumi held onto Kise's hand for support as he walked her to his changing room. He turned back only once to look at the shy girl who ducked in embarrassment. After all, she didn't have a clue as to how she even looked. All she remembered was that she was grabbed by her fellow colleagues into the changing room and forced to sit on a chair where four different people attacked her with powder and perfume.
Before entering his exclusive room, the model stopped by a crewmember and was handed an envelope. Sayumi watched as he secretively took out the things in the envelope and began shuffling through them.
"Kise..."
"Kinenocchi. I don't want to give any of these to you." The model frowned at the hard decision he was confronted with. Sayumi leaned against Kise to see what he was so interested in. A little gasp left her. Kise held a pile of beautifully photographed images. She envied the godly features of her friend before moving on to see the rest of the picture. Her eyes fell on the girl standing really close next to the model.
"Is that..."
"Kinenocchi." The blonde assured her it was really herself in the photo.
"Oh." The girl tried grabbing the photos, but Kise lifted his hand above his head, knowing that she couldn't jump for them in her heels. "That's not funny. It's embarrassing. Give them." The girl tried tiptoeing only to fall on the model. She apologized for dropping her whole weight on him even though he didn't fall over. "Kise. Please."
Kise couldn't refuse her round eyes. He sighed in defeat and handed her the pile of photos. After all, the pictures were taken for her and not him. He could always ask the cameraman later for another set of photos.
"I...I'll see you tonight." The girl immediately slid the photos back into the envelope and tucked them under her arm.
"I don't think I'm going today. I have a meeting," the blond said sadly.
"I...I see. Then...I'll see you tomorrow."
The nervous girl spun abruptly, caught herself before falling, and then waddled out of the room. Kise laughed at the clumsy girl. After she closed the door behind her, he dug in his chest pocket and took out a photo that he secretly kept. It would be a waste to give the first picture taken by the cameraman to her. That picture did catch the perfect moment. Their moment.
...
As the girl exited the model's exclusive changing room, she searched for her clothes, but couldn't find them until a fellow employee told her of its whereabouts.
"Sayumi-chan. We thought you left so we had someone drop it to your home since it was along the way to her home."
Sayumi thanked her friend and wobbled out to the streets. She had to admit, it wasn't easy to walk on four inches. Imagine anything higher. The girl attracted many stares from passersby. She believed it was because of her funny walking style and completely blocked out the possibility that they were impressed by her new look.
Too absorbed in looking at the floor, she forgot to look forward and bumped into someone. Before falling backwards, a strong arm hugged her waist and pulled her to his muscular body, stopping her from falling to the floor. The girl's scared eyes looked at the boy's energetic red ones. He immediately moved his hand from her waist to her arm, steadying her.
"Kagami?" Sayumi, still frozen from imagining the pain of actually falling, looked up at her savior. The redhead looked at her in surprise.
"Kineno?"
"Kineno-san." Kuroko appeared from behind his towering teammate. The three stared at each other in silence that was thankfully broken by Kuroko. "Kagami-kun and I have to attend a mandatory Seirin special training course hosted by our coach." The light blue-haired boy brushed against the girl and walked on ahead before his friends realized the red tint on his face.
Sayumi looked from Kuroko to Kagami who still had a grip on her arm. Kagami put his hand behind his head. "I better g...get going too."
"Um...uh...yeah." She somehow conjured that her friends were mentally laughing at her attempt to look nicer. Sayumi looked at the floor, too embarrassed to make any more eye contact half hoping she had Kuroko's ability to fade.
Kagami nodded and stepped around her. He was glad that Sayumi was looking at the floor mostly. If she didn't, she would have definitely seen him blushing. Kagami took a few long fast strides and caught up with the little shadow before disappearing together.
When Sayumi finally managed to reach the "heaven" called "home," she tossed herself onto her bed and let out a big sigh. Only after breathing in a few large breaths of air did she force herself up and slip into the bathroom and stare into the mirror at her reflection.
"The power of makeup..." the girl whispered in awe and began the removal process.
...
Sayumi placed the envelope carefully on her nightstand before changing into shorts and T-shirt. She slipped into her loose basketball shoes and headed out to the park. She knew everyone was busy that day, but since she was so hyped up from the earlier events, she needed to vent out her excess energy.
She knew the park was going to be empty and it was. Sayumi dribbled the ball, creating some noise in the quiet park. Her first basket went in with a swoosh. After picking up the ball, she shot again and the ball rolled around the rim before falling into the net. The girl's solo play ended when voices filled the park.
Sayumi continued with her shooting and retrieving basketball game. She shot another basket, but before she had a chance to shoot again, another basketball dropped through the same hoop. The girl looked at the group of ignorant boys who intruded into her court. She got irritated when they deliberately ignored her presence. She knew they did it intentionally since they chose to ignore the other available court. She cleared her throat to get their attention, but they continued to play. One of them laughed when they saw the annoyed girl's eye twitch.
"Excuse me. I was here first." Sayumi looked at the disturbers. "Please use the other court." She pointed at the available court.
"You can use that one." The boys laughed at the helpless girl. The haughtiest one jumped and made a clean shot from the three-pointer line. There was no doubt it would have gone in if not for another basketball knocking it aside. The two balls collided and rolled off in separate directions.
The surprised group turned to look at a tall dark skinned boy who simply snorted. Sayumi blinked and went to retrieve her ball that Aomine threw, but was stopped by a hand that held her in place. The rude boys snarled at his sudden appearance.
"You there. Pick up the basketball." Aomine pointed at the tallest of the three who was the same height as himself. The boy walked haughtily to Aomine until they were directly facing each other. He was as confident as the navy-haired boy who was still holding on to the small girl who stood misplaced in between the two towers. Both of the teenage boys glared at each other menacingly. They looked so serious that Sayumi was afraid they'd get in a fight.
"Aomine..." Sayumi tugged at his strong arms. Aomine pulled the girl to him and smirked at the confident boy standing right across from him.
"You and your two friends against me and her."
The two other frivolous boys laughed at the challenge, but the real opponent accepted with a nod. Aomine smiled arrogantly and released his hold on Sayumi. Sayumi took queue and went to retrieve her basketball.
Within minutes, the five players got into position and the tip off began. It was no surprise that Aomine knocked the ball into Sayumi's hands. She caught the ball and swiftly maneuvered around the two inexperienced players who were supposedly "guarding" her. She made a fast basket from the two-point line and earning silent applause from her opponents. Sayumi tossed the ball to the opponents and thus began another tip off.
...
Aomine scored the last points with his thunderous dunk and the game ended. The opponents accepted their lost and thanked the two players for the entertaining game. The three boys left together happily while discussing the game. Sayumi turned energetically at her partner and flashed a triumphant smile. Aomine raised his arm high and the girl jumped for a high-five. He laughed and started walking out the park with the girl alongside him.
The two decided to cool down by taking a stroll before returning home. Aomine chose to walk on the streets with the stores. Because he was taller, he always walked ahead of the girl, but he would occasionally sneak a few peeks to make sure she was right behind him.
On the third peek, Aomine didn't see the little figure trailing after him. He turned around frantically, bumping into a few other pedestrians. After apologizing quickly, he ran down the light-filled street looking for the missing Sayumi. He reached the corner of the street and looked down the mass of people, unable to find her. Even with his tall stature, he couldn't find her. Panic slowly crept into Aomine's usually easygoing mind. He pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and put it to his ear, all the while whispering for her to pick up.
Within a few seconds, Aomine heard a familiar song playing behind him. Without thinking, he spun around to catch the girl sneaking behind him. He looked angrily at the girl who was completely ignorant of the fact that she worried him too much for it to be healthy.
"You-" Aomine wanted to scold her, but the girl held out a water bottle with both hands. He looked at the water bottle in disdain. The water bottle cost her a few dollars, but cost him a few seconds of his life. His gaze shifted to the panting girl smiling sheepishly.
"I only bought one." Sayumi snapped the cap off and handed the bottle to Aomine. "You can waterfall first."
However angry, Aomine couldn't bring himself to yell at the girl. After all, what was he to her? She had the absolute freedom to wander, get lost, get kidnapped. It was none of his business, yet he couldn't help but let himself worry.
He extended his right arm past the bottle and almost to her shoulder, but thought again and retreated after grabbing the bottle. He made a "tch" which caused Sayumi to flinch a little before pouring the water down his dry throat. Sayumi giggled at how fast the boy gulped the trickling stream of water. From the corner of his eye, Aomine made out a smiling girl. All traces of anger melted with that one glance.
After drinking half of the large water bottle, Aomine stuck out the bottle to the girl. She was so hypnotized by the boy chugging down the water that she forgot that she was thirsty too. After returning to her senses, she took the bottle gratefully and drank directly. But before she was allowed to finish, his large hand grabbed hers and took the bottle. The mischievous boy drank the rest of the water. He smirked at the blushing girl who was still sensitive to sharing beverages. It amused him to see that he had such an effect on her.
"Che." Sayumi skimmed past the teasing boy and continued to walk ahead. Sayumi, unwilling to easily forgive Aomine for his teasing, didn't think twice about turning around. The grinning boy watched interestingly at the girl in the basketball outfit walk away from him. His eyes wandered from her to the store across the street which inspired his next great idea.
Sayumi didn't expect the sudden grip around her wrist. Aomine's tall figure zoomed past her and literally dragged her to follow. The crazy teenagers sped across the street, barely making it across before the streetlight pressured from yellow and finally red.
"Y...you...Ao...Aomine..." Sayumi panted, still struggling to catch her breath. She never ran so hard in her life. She looked at the panting basketball player standing next to her. "You're crazy."
A smug grin appeared across Aomine's face. "I know." The navy-haired boy held her basketball in one hand, and grabbed Sayumi's hand with the other. The energetic boy led her into the store he saw from across the street.
...
Sayumi rolled her eyes. She sat idly on the seat provided in the shoe store as she watched Aomine do what seemed like flirting with the cute sales girl. The girl pretended to not care, but was filled with curiosity. They were standing too far for her to hear and so she gave up eavesdropping. She looked at the girl from head to toe, turning away as a cinch of jealousy manifested. The bored girl scolded herself for harboring such petty thoughts and distracted herself with the bright lights decorating the streets and stores outside.
Aomine leaned over the counter to see the pair of new basketball shoes get packaged neatly. The long-haired cashier smiled at the young customer leaning over.
"Present for your girlfriend?" the girl behind the counter teased playfully. She laughed at the innocent expression on Aomine's face. "She's been staring at us for awhile."
"Yeah?"
The nice sales girl laughed and handed the bag to the customer. Aomine thanked her and walked to where Sayumi sat patiently waiting.
"Oi." The shy boy stuck out the bag for the girl waiting for him. Sayumi blinked and looked at the towering figure. "Let's go." Aomine took the basketball from Sayumi's hands and replaced it with the bag containing the new pair of shoes he bought her. He opened the door and walked out, the speechless Sayumi skipped out after him.
...
Sayumi waved to her bodyguard before closing the door and dashing to her room. After closing the door and locking it, she carefully took out the box and opened it. She took out the new pair of basketball shoes. Her fingers traced the red and black highlights of the white shoes. The girl smiled giddily. She slipped them on and ran near her bed.
"Take-kun! What'd you think? Aomine bought these for me!" Sayumi twirled dreamily, unable to contain the excitement she hid extremely well when walking back home. Her eyes then fell on the envelope on the nightstand. She suddenly recalled Kise's proximity in the photos. That memory was followed by Kagami's miraculous save. She twisted her body a little and traced the place on her waist that Kagami held so firmly. Her face became completely flushed.
"Take-kun. I'm in trouble." Sayumi lifted the ugly mushroom from her bed and held it above her. "I think I'm going crazy."
...
When Sayumi finally managed to fall asleep, she was awoken by a sudden phone call coming in at 4:17 in the morning. She forced open one eye and peeked at her noisy phone. It was Okaa-chan.
"Kaa-chan?" the girl answered, still groggy.
"Sayu-chan! I'm so proud of you!" Mother's voice squealed through the phone.
Sayumi sat up, unable to comprehend the situation. Her mother rarely called and so suddenly complimenting her was even more rare.
"Huh? Kaa-chan. What'd I do?"
"I can't wait to show this to my friends. They thought I was exaggerating."
"What?" Sayumi asked worriedly. "What are you talking about?" Sayumi leaned closer to hear the fuzzy noises transmitted from the other end of the phone. "Hello?"
"...let Sayumi sleep...but anata, she looks so cute...it's very early in Japan right now... you just don't like the fact that this picture is with Kise and not the other boys you were shipping... I'm not shipping anyone with my daughter. What does shipping even mean? ... Che. Don't be a petty father. Your daughter is making good progress ..."
Sayumi could only make out bits of the strange conversation between her parents who were taking up her precious sleep time. She hated to hang up on them, but she would appreciate it if they considered that she still had school in the morning. After a minute more of light bickering, father won the phone and spoke.
"Sayumi."
"Tou-chan. How are you?"
"I'm fine. I know it's early in Japan, but you're mom is just too excited. We'll talk more next time. Go get some sleep. Oyasumi." Click.
"Oyasumi... but it's already the morning. I only have two hours left." Sayumi threw herself back under her covers and fell fast asleep. She would undoubtedly need the energy for the next day.
How fast did you read this? I took hours to write this, but I enjoyed every moment since we're actually moving somewhere.
I also wanted to congratulate you for reading 64,231 words from me. Thank you for your continued support and I'm looking forward to any feedback-it always makes my day.