CHAPTER 80
I do not own Skip Beat! Yoshiki Nakamura does.
First trip and its wonders: battle time: part 4.
Her feet carried her at their best in the thick carpet of snow as she sprinted away, making a curve and trying not to slip as she dashed back toward the park and the group. She heard him cursed under his breath as he did the same and promptly turned around, following. She couldn't hold back her chuckle but it also made her realized he was closer than she thought if she had heard that, and sped up even more.
His only response was to accelerate too. She didn't have to turn around. She just knew he wasn't far behind. She could hear the rushed criss of snow under his race. She ran past Ren's friends as she stepped on the tiny bridge, and caught herself on the wood railing when her feet slipped on the wooden planks still covered with fresh snow.
She heard their laughs resonated around as she passed them, and felt a sudden woosh of air just behind her, and a hand briefly grazed her arm. But she jumped. She used the slippery wood to her advantage, and glided down the other side of the bridge on the equilibrium of her heels to go faster. Now, she was very glad to have learned to control how to glide down on snow without falling. Who knew she would be able to apply what she learned with snowboarding like this. She could help her curiosity when she heard him lose his balance a bit on the way down of the bridge, and turned around to glance at him. Glee bloomed on her face and in her heart at the rhythm of her laughs, and tears sprinkled her lashes as she observed the show. He had apparently slipped a tint as he had tried to run down the curve of the bridge but the loose hold he still had on the left railing suggested he had caught himself at last minute, avoiding falling. Yet, he was indeed on the ground. Knees plunged first in the snow up to mid-thighs, and his arm behind him in an odd unnatural grip. The fall clearly not at the right angle if he had slipped. But there was this lagging a bit too overly stretched leg just on the perfect spot to have tripped someone passing close, and in this case, Ren. Such a leg was owned by Kijima who looked very pleased with himself, despite Ren glares as he slowly tried to extirpate himself from the snow which was thicker and unbothered in this side of the park. Kijima dusted snow powder on the top of Ren's head with the precise concentration of an artist completing their oeuvre, and right before Ren stood back.
It was too much. She doubled over, her laughs quadrupling as she held her sides at the picture he made at this moment. The oh-so-elegant Ren Tsuruga looked properly dishevelled, and it was the cutest thing ever. And the amused-slightly annoyed get back his eyes promised as, once again, he removed snow from his clothes only made funnier.
She was huffing air rather than breathing it by the end of it, and yet she couldn't calm down.
"Pfff… Pfff-pfff-pfff."
She mimicked Kijima's fingers as they had delicately let go of snow flakes on Ren's head and on the top of his nose, reliving the picture with giddy hilarity.
They were only a couple of feet away from her and she heard him tell Kijima there would be payback, and saw when he went back into movement, rushing closer. But she was too focused on that mental image, painfully regretting not having a picture of that priceless sprinkled Ren.
She didn't even try to run. Didn't realize.
And then she was caught.
He locked his arms around her waist, grinning a bit too happily at her, a touch of scheming in the eyes.
"Got you." He said and she looked up to his face. But the moment she saw it, it superposed itself with a former image, and she couldn't help raising her hand, rubbing three fingers like she was dusting sugar frost on a cake.
She turned away, shaking with laughs again.
"Having fun?" He asked in a seemingly innocent question, and she nodded, incapable of talking again.
She felt more than see him tucked back a lock of loose hair in her braid before he spoke in a joyous yet dark tone.
"You know this calls for revenge?"
She nodded again, trying to calm down so she could look back at him but felt herself leaving the ground before she could do so.
She was thrown over his shoulder and in a vice grip one second, making her gasp at the combine lack of breath from the suddenness of this and too much laughing, and by the time she would have been able to protest if she wanted, she was plopped down again. In the snow. Butt first. A loud dang echoed the next second, and she looked up just enough to see herself just under a tree, and realized her fate a few seconds too late as fair shares of snow dropped down, and covered her from head to toes with white fluffiness.
Once the shock passed, she used her gloves to remove the cold powder from her face and head, and looked up at the responsible. He had both hands on his narrow hips of his, one eyebrow lifted with amusement and lips twitching, taunting her to say anything in protest.
"This was much more than what you received." She commented as she rubbed off her clothes with false nonchalance, once she had managed to free herself to the cold mummified cocoon she had under. She was glad for the wet-free clothes she had thought to put back on.
He shrugged with a pleased smile, and she squinted her eyes at him.
She slightly changed her position, preparing herself, but he saw it and angled himself in accordance. She eyed him, pretending innocence and searching for an approach.
His eyes swam with joy.
His expression shifted into one of ready-to-play innocence he so rarely had, and then her back hit the white ground, and she was in the snow again.
She huffed out at her hair that had untied and was obstructing her view, and saw him towering over with a grin full of barely contained laughs.
"Still sure you wanna play?" He taunted over her, barely squatting.
Her eyes twitched at his confidence and placing arms behind and palms in the snow, she used all her muscles, tensing from calves to belly to propel her back up in a light supple jump. Then using the momentum, she took equilibrium on her good leg, twirled, and used the left one to push at the back of his knees with her own one and make him lose his balance.
It was his turn to meet the ground with his back but she followed the fall just enough to be kneeling in the snow by his hips, bust above his own and one hand from each side of his head. The icy mountain breath shook her hair, messing them up and she pushed them back to be able to look into his surprised eyes as she replied him with a challenging grin.
"Sure I wanna win." She told him and he rose to the fight in silent smirk as moved to grab her but she escaped his hands, and ran.
She was ten feet away when a snowball hit her, and she twisted around to see he had already made a couple of them. She laughed and quickly made a loose one and threw it at him. He avoided it gracefully, and smirked. He even had the audacity of shaking a finger in no-no move at her.
She let herself slide down into the soft snow for quickness purpose and started to make snowballs while trying to avoid his attacks.
A couple more flew before they were interrupted both on their side by Ren's friends joining. Kaï, Taku, Reo, Airi and Mei joined Ren. Saki, Momose, Koga, Ken, and Kijima joined her. There was a quick strategy talk and they split their actions. Koga, Saki and herself would throw the snowballs as they were best at aiming. Ken and Momose would build a wall, and Kijima would make them a stock of snowballs at the ready.
The other camp seemed to have come to a similar strategy because they asked rules to win. It was decided snow walls needed to be broken and at least five hits of snowballs on each person to win. They elongated the distance between sides a bit to make it harder to aim right, and added as a last-minute rule that if after half an hour there were still no winner, an attacker could be sent on top of everything else to tackle opponents in the snow. They will have to tackle same opponents at least trice to make them disqualified and out of the game.
War was declared.
Kijima had already made a stack of snowballs while they were discussing rules so snow fired fast.
Going from left to right and backwards. Kyoko quickly noticed Ren and Taku were switching positions regularly from throwing balls to building the wall. Ren had big hands and was really fast at gathering and enlarging their snow wall. And he was smirking at her, the whole time.
Damn man was too good with his hands. It was aggravating.
Koga got hit twice, Saki and Kijima one when she switched position with him to build some of her own snowballs. Kijima had been fast so they had some ground before being out of them. The other side's wall kept getting bigger, while theirs had been reduced already a couple of times. Their window to hit them were narrowing at each instant.
She stepped aside with her new snowballs, leaving room to the others and standing slightly on the side of their wall. Her balls were more ice balls than snow ones, much as the one she had used to throw at the tree above Ren earlier.
She started her attack, going for peculiar spots that seemed weaker. The top borders, the sides, and finally areas that seemed thinner.
It reduced the others' wall but not enough. Avoiding a precise launch, she was sure came from Ren, she changed tactics and aimed for only two spots. Repeatedly. Again and again. And finally their wall shook before a full half fell. She cheered.
"Attack all at once." She shouted and snowballs from her side doubled in quantity, outing of the game Mei and Reo nearly at once. But they also lost Ken who had been the repeated target of the other camp as he was too fast with building their own wall.
The battle pursued, no one letting an inch pass, and though they all saw the other camp trying to build back to its bigger form their wall, Kyoko would not let it happen and would hit at the foundations with her very hard balls each time it got a little too big. Several of both camps got touched by snowballs but without ever reaching the fifth time.
Half an hour mark was reached not long after, and the game continued with the new rule to the rhythm of laughs. Airi was sent to try tackle in the snow someone of their side, and Momose went to meet her in the middle of the war field. Momose won. Airi tried again and laughed when she was thrown once more into the snow. She went back in the camp but Momose stayed ready for next opponent. She avoided the snowballs with a grace Kyoko admired. But after ten or so more minutes had passed, Airi came back, seeming to have a plan in mind. She went straight to Momose's legs, trying to throw her off balance. It might have worked if Momose hadn't jumped high at last second. She got hit by one sneaky ball of Ren but since she had only been hit two times before she wasn't out and Airi was in the snow again. She was out.
Unfortunately, soon after that Kijima got hit by his fifth ball and it was his turn to be out of the game. He pouted as he retreated outside of range, but was soon cheering for them with daring speeches that made both sides laugh.
Kyoko laughed as Momose kept taunting them to come try tackling her. If they dared to attack a girl.
Kaï rose to the challenge and was swept off his feet before he even had a chance to blink. He was ready to go for another try but Kyoko took advantage to nib some more at their wall, and he raced back to help building it back.
"Oï, stop destroying our wall." He said and she laughed. "You are hitting it like a snow canon."
"Not a chance." She replied cockily and took advantage of the momentum to hit him on the arm. It was his third it.
"Damn this girl precision."
"She doesn't miss."Added Ren with a laugh, though he hadn't even been touched once since the game officially started. Kyoko winked at them in response and Ren slipped. She didn't lose a second, and used the glorious unexpected opportunity to launch a ball at him. He moved to avoid it but she had anticipated he would still be able to do something and had targeted a spot slightly on the side of his position, at ankles area, knowing he would expect a ball that low. It landed perfectly.
Their team cheered, laughing at Ren puzzled face and she grinned happily already firing more balls at them.
"You were right on that." Commented Kaï, and Taku snorted in his hand.
Kyoko didn't hear Ren's reply to them as he told them he was playing with invisible disadvantages, making laugh even harder his teammates. But she did hear when they replied him.
"Invisible they are not," said Taku wisely with an unfamiliar, for him, huge grin, and Kaï finished with, "But they are disadvantages indeed."
She would have wondered what this was all about if she wasn't too focused on the play. She sent another ball at Ren that he avoided and he sent one of his own at her. His snowballs were always very fast but she still stepped aside and it missed her. She pulled her tongue at him and she saw him twitch.
Koga switched places with Momose placing himself in the centre of the ground. "Come on, misters, come at me or I will hunt you." He warned. A ball came from nowhere, and hit him at the hip and he glared playfully at Taku. But he avoided all the next balls thrown at him by the three men.
Finally, Taku got out, racing at Koga and avoiding the balls Saki sent him. Koga went down in a huff, surprised by the quickness of push. He won second round, though. But Taku caught him from the back second, and sent him rolling in the snow for the third time. Koga was out.
Taku went back with the other two, and there was a pregnant pause as they took a look at the situation.
Last three men against last three women.
Momose and Saki cornered her, Momose placing her hands on Kyoko's shoulders.
"We are counting on you, Kyoko-chan." They both said. "You started this, you finish this. Our pride is on the line here."
She laughed and turned toward them.
"You are overestimating me. I can't plan Kaï-san and Taku-san moves, I don't know them enough yet."
Saki-san waved her concerns away.
"I can take Taku if needed," she said. "At least once, with surprise effect helping. But I might need your help for the other time." And Kyoko nodded. Once, she was pretty sure she could. Because if she didn't know them enough, they didn't either. So at worst, she had the surprise shot.
"We both got down once, Kaï and me," Momose started, "I think it will be tight but I might have a shot. It's a fifty-fifty, I think."
They both looked at her.
"I will make no promise, Ren is a force to reckon with, and I'm sure you both know it." They nodded at this but then Saki inquired.
"But did he ever see you fighting?"
Kyoko looked at her surprised.
"I can tell because I have some training too." She told her.
Kyoko replied her with a shake of the head.
"No," she added, "We are supposed to train for the movie but didn't yet. He might know theoretically but never saw me."
"Then, you stay our best shot."
She nodded, and they turned around, noticing they hadn't been the only ones doing strategy again.
"I think they will send Taku," Saki Said and Momose nodded in agreement, "I'd like you to go first, and I will take last one to not tempt chance."
Kyoko agreed and sure enough, soon Taku was racing in their direction. She left their camp, trotting slightly to him as she analysed his move, and stopped a few feet away when she saw he had paused too, seeming surprised she was the one to come.
She smiled innocently and Taku-san squinted his eyes at her before eying Ren then Saki-san then Ren again. She avoided a ball coming from Kaï, and didn't let her adversary think more about this new turn of events. She crouched, lowering her stance and racing again before jumping and crocheting her feet to high on his thigh, anchoring and giving just the right impulse to send Taku-san twirling and rolling softly in the snow. She stood back, breathing in relief she had gone soft enough to make him land without hurting him, though he was still gasping at the unexpected angle and drop in the snow.
Once she had checked he was alright, she retreated to their own camp before he had time to stand back. When he did, he just shook his head gracefully and shot an amused glance to Ren who was not looking at him.
Saki high-fived her and Momose followed when she got back.
"That was amazing!"Saki-san excitedly said. "There was no way he could plan that. I understand why you were so sure you had at least one shot." Kyoko grinned. "Surprise effect works both ways when you don't know much about your adversary." She told her.
Taku-san stayed on the field in a ready stance and shot Kyoko a waiting expression but she just grinned. Next second, Saki was sprinting toward Taku and Kyoko could have sworn he paled.
She cut her run abruptly, dangling on her toes with hands locked behind her back with teasing grin shot at Taku. She looked all cute and innocent and it denoted with her usual strong I-do-it-my-own attitude. She was playing cute animals at him, and even batted lashes at him.
"Try me." She hushed out happily, and Kyoko was positive, one hundred percent sure even, that there was a heavy innuendo thrown right at his feet, here and there, like a gantlet of invisible power.
She could not help herself. She bubbled a laugh, and turned around, trying to keep her giggles to a minimum to not distract anyone. A ball hit her leg, and she turned around in a swift. It was her second hit. Both had been by Ren. She glared at him for a second for the low attack.
"You are not playing fair," She stated, and after a slight pause, she added with a grin to the intention of Saki-san, "Both of you."
Saki shrugged and smirked before saying, "All is fair in love and war, making stumble Taku. Kyoko glared at Ren.
"Did you contaminate every single friend with that damn shrug?" She grumbled out, firing snowballs at him for the pain and provoking a laugh in Momose, besides her. (Even if she knew even she was doing it.) Which he promptly avoided. He laughed and shrugged as if he didn't know.
Saki blew a kiss at Taku, and he blinked stupidly at her, staring. She didn't miss a beat as she used his frozen state to trip him down and straight into the fluffy snow. He stayed lying, lifting a hand in defeat.
"Sorry man, I'm out." He said without looking at Ren but still staring into the oblivion of the sky, "Invisible cons were against me."
Ren chuckled lightly as he replied.
"I get it."
"Yeah."
Kyoko got the gist the cons were the shameless flirt Saki-san did that disturbed Taku-san and let supposed … something.
Saki-san helped Taku-san up and pecked his nose. He just stared, in shock clearly. And bugged. Saki-san laughed and make him turn around.
"Come on, out, we still have a game on." She urged but he suddenly turned around like he had awoken.
"You are … aware." He said, though his voice was unsure but Saki-san knew instantly what he was talking about. "Maybe."
"And- …-you still flirted." It was not a question. "Maybe."She replied again.
He searched her sweet but gleeful eyes for a long pause.
"Nothing like a snow battle to spark things up." Commented Momose at her Kyoko side and she laughed as she observed them.
"Indeed."
"They are cute."She said and Momose nodded before adding. "Though I know cuter." Kyoko eyed her oddly and Momose shook her head. "Never mind that."
Kyoko focused her attention on the area between camps again when Taku talked again.
"Since when? No, wait, that's not…"He shook his head. "Is this a message or something?" He asked and when she nodded, his attention on her tripled.
"Is this some sort of twisted green light or I misread things? Because you're not the kind to–" She grinned before he could finish.
"And if I say yes?"
Yup Kyoko thought. They are absolutely adorable. She laughed internally when she saw Ken was filming this.
Two seconds. That's the time it took Taku-san to react and lift Saki-san in the air, and robbed her. He plopped down in the snow with her a few metres away from the rest of the group and out of the game area, and soundly kissed her. She laughed heartily and replied to him.
"You just stole our teammate to kiss her." Threw Momose, "I'm pretty sure it's against the rules." She added sternly, despite the huge grin eating her face.
"Screw the rules," he said before kissing Saki-san again, "I'm not giving her back."
Momose pouted and pointed a finger at them before looking at this. She still had that twinkle in her eyes.
"That's aggravated cheating and robbery!" She said with false outrage. Kyoko could not look at her with seriousness any longer.
She exploded, followed closely by Ren.
"A little steal is fine." Stated Ren with a very fake very serious professional observatory look, and Kyoko concurred.
"Circumstances must be always examined."She stated.
"It was clearly uncontrollable."
"There were hook and sink, the fool had no chance to resist." Ren added, pushing invisible glasses his nose as if he had asserted the situation closely.
Kyoko's sides shook.
"Now, I understand better why Saki-san wanted the last tackle round with him."She said with a smiling understanding nod.
"Shut up, you two!" Saki and Taku suddenly grumbled.
"Roger on that." Both Kyoko and Ren said, sporting a matter-of-fact expression, and in perfect sync as if they had rehearsed the whole thing.
The whole group burst into fits.
Once everyone calmed down, the play resumed. They attempted a few more throws but most missed and it wasn't enough to settle the game. The only satisfying thing was that Kyoko got Ren a second time with a ball. But soon enough, they decided they wouldn't finish this without the tackles, and Momose went into the centre area to meet Kaï.
He got her once but she fought hard, and Kyoko could tell she had a pride and wanted to at least win another one, which she did, eventually. But then, he took her by surprise and got her again. She was out. She apologized for leaving her alone as she left the game, and Kyoko turned back to face her adversaries.
Both of them grinned at her.
"Want to admit defeat?" taunted Kaï.
"Never."
She sighed, well, not like she had much of a choice.
She took her time, though.
Feet light, she padded her way into the white fluffy coat to the centre of the fighting area. Then she opened her arms, and waited.
"Well?"
Ren's eyes locked into hers. And they never left her as he did the same and walked in his precise elegant gait, though prowling in the added slowness he showed as his feet grinded in the snow to each measure he approached her.
He stopped in front of her, a few feet from where she stood, spread his legs an inch more and lowered his stance a tint, eying her carefully.
She suddenly regretted showing a glimpse of what she was capable with Taku-san earlier. Ren wouldn't have been so wary right now if he hadn't seen her before.
She tried to think quick. He had mad reflexes, was insanely fast and agile. She didn't have many angles she could try. He didn't know how she acted but she knew he would adapt fast. Her suppleness was the only point she thought she might have the upper hand. Agility might be close but she wasn't absolutely sure.
Yet, the fact he didn't know how far ran her strength, how far her reflexes went still could play to her advantages for at least one round. She was definitely stronger and faster than in the past. And she could also do acrobatics, now. He had never seen her fight or defend herself – besides the tidbit of just before – , the need had never presented itself. In the past or now. Yet, he wasn't giving her an inch. As he damn knew he shouldn't underestimate her.
In fact, they had been staring for a full two minutes, and had barely moved since. She heard Kaï say it was like watching a western dual, and his other friends laughed.
She slid a step on the side, relaxing her posture, and lightening her weight on her feet all the while pretending to adopt an innocent stance. She had bent her knees a tint, staying on her toes, but redressed her bust backwards and crossed her arms behind her head.
Her plan backfired though when her gesture only made him warier, and he shifted his weight to the front of his feet too, guarding her with acute attention as if she had just turned into some kind of predator. And an impressed gleam had even filled his stare with a new sort of light. She cursed inwardly. Damn observant fairy.
When an exaggerated sigh escaped her following this new development, he chuckled.
"You pretty much burned your chances at making you pass for a helpless bunny." He commented before eying her feet. "Just your position here is telling me how much of a threat you could be."
She smiled and shrugged, imitating him perfectly.
"It was worth the try."
"It is also very clear, considering, that you would be aware it would give some of your skills away to show me this."
She grinned.
"Well, it isn't as fun if you are clueless, is it now?" She taunted.
He twitched and his gaze burned nicely that glow she loved to see. Oh-oh. He was so up to it. And it was riling her up. Stroking thrills of excitement and joy of doing this against him. Playing against each other was always a drug. Whether in acting or otherwise. It was such a fun.
She showed teeth at him, still keeping her arms relaxed behind her head, and returned the fire in his eyes with her own.
The group watching them chuckled.
"Naughty bunny." He mumbled, and it was her turn to have a jolt of annoyance.
"Well," She replied, "I might be naughty … but I'm not a bunny."Kyoko countered with a warning, and she made another step, testing his defences. He seemed to shudder for a second but didn't miss a beat, and filled the opening before she could engulf herself in it. He crouched even more as if he was ready to pounce on her, the second she moved, and it made her think of a feline just before jumping on its prey.
"What I'm sure of, however," She started once more, trying to distract him and acting nonchalantly, "is that, I have a huge lion snapping his jaws at me." She joked.
He replied her with a pleased smirk, clearing liking her comparison.
"The question is," she wondered aloud, "Is that lion only all barks but no bites?"
He playfully growled at her, but lifted a brow. Kyoko held back a chuckle. He looked almost truly vexed.
"She is clearly asking to be bitten." Kijima said from the side with a grin.
"Well, obviously, someone learned – …"Started Momose.
"How to push his buttons." Ended Saki.
"She might not be wrong, though." slipped Koga. "He could be all bark and nothing else."
"Be happy Ren is too busy right now." Cut Kaï with a smile.
Neither of the adversaries took notice of the comments, besides them being there in the background.
Kyoko waited a few seconds more, both eyes in eyes and grinning before she resumed.
"Well, then," She proposed him and tilt her bust forward, "Come get me."
This time, there was no hesitation, and he moved. She reacted.
The moment he reached to catch her, she twirled and bolted. He missed her by a hair. She was behind him one second later, going straight for the same trick she used on Taku-san. But Ren was too fast and was already facing her. He blocked her feet, and locked her ankle in his deft fingers. Her eyes danced with joy at fighting on equal grounds with him, as she noticed his surprise at her quickness.
She didn't even try to pull away, she knew he had her in a vice grip.
"You should let go of that," She told him, though.
He just smiled.
She shrugged.
As he wished.
She took advantage of his good hold on her ankle and pulled. She thrust herself in the air thanks to the impulse against his hand, closing up right on him. The second it took him to let go of her feet was already too late, and on the contrary, she was even able to land both her legs-from knees to feet – on his chest. Between her weight, the angle and the momentum she had, she propelled him right on his back and to the ground. She had made sure the surface of her body hitting him would be large enough to not hurt him but he still gasped in shock, not having expected this at all, apparently.
She heard the loud cheers of his friends but didn't really listen.
Kneeling on his chest, she checked he was okay as she placed both palms deep in the snow, glad for her gloves as she still felt the cold, and smiled victoriously at him.
"That's one." She told him, before jumping back fast when he realized and tried to catch her.
"Tss-tss-tss." She said, shaking her index though internally, she cheered. Agility had worked.
He observed her keenly, trying to unveil every secret and tricks she had, she was sure.
"What discipline did you learn?"
She made eyes at him.
"You don't expect me to really tell you right now, do you?"
"Why not?"He inquired a bit too innocently.
"Ha! You would adapt your tactic, that's why!" She highlighted with a roll of her eyes. As if it wasn't obvious.
Someone snorted in the crowd of their somewhat silent observers.
He took a different stance, and a chill ran down her back. He was so going to get back at her for this.
"You will tell me after?"He inquired and she nodded with a laugh. She didn't care telling him. When it wasn't giving him unfair advantages.
He smiled briefly then sprang at her.
She avoided him by jumping high in the air at last second. But only just.
But he didn't even tick. He was analysing her. Her every move.
She shook her head.
How dangerous. Her advantage wouldn't last, that was for sure.
He raced at her again. She sidestepped, and he missed her. But he shifted to catch her still, and this time she jumped backward to avoid him. Unfortunately, he followed, and jumped too. He caught her as she was landing, and they fell in the snow. Her first, though he protected her head and the low of her back.
She huffed messed hair out of her face, and he caught one of her locks to tickle her nose with it.
Teasing grin rooted on his face.
"That's one too."
She tried to keep a straight face but his expression made her melt, and she snorted.
"Come on." She said, pushing him to stand back.
He helped her up, and they went back in the middle of the field.
They resumed circling each other, testing for openings and blind spots.
After a minute or so, Kyoko got an idea, and started racing at full speed toward Ren who lifted his arms, ready right away to encircle her.
But at the very last instant, she let herself fall, using the snow like on the slopes, and letting her slide on it and right at Ren's feet, between his legs. Once there, she caught one leg, and twirled, making him trip and fall, right on his back again with a gasp.
"And that's two," She said, huffing out a laugh, as she lied still in the snow.
He gruffed out as Kijima and Koga cackled.
"You're as slippery and sneaky as a cat." He said as he jumped stood on his feet as she rose too.
She grinned and bow with her arm crossed on her belly.
"At your service."
He chuckled but she could see he was already thinking about next round.
"Ready to lose?"She taunted.
"Not quite."
And indeed, he wasn't.
As he proved barely after they were up again. He drove at her and when she avoided it, he had already anticipated her twirling, and tripped her last second. She dropped on her butt in the snow, and glared up at him. As she had thought, he was already getting better at reading her moves, and with that, her chances were thinning out.
He lifted two fingers with a goofy smile.
"And that's two too."
He then gave her a hand and pulled her up.
She was about to retort something when she heard his friends.
"Come on, Kyoko-chan."Said Momose with an encouraging smile.
"Don't let him win." Added Saki-san.
"You can do it."Cheered, Kijima.
"Just one more time." Pushed Koga-san.
They were supposed to be on her team so she could understand why they were cheering her but even Kaï, Taku and Reo were cheering for her.
"Aren't you supposed to support your own team?"Inquired Ren at them.
"Screw that." Said, Kaï. "It's too funny seeing her mess with you."
She snorted, and Ren shook his head before waving from her to his friends.
"Bewitching the other team is disloyal, you know."
She pushed both eyebrows high, innocence and shock glaring at him but the quirked up smile on side defeated its purpose.
"I did nothing."
"You certainly did."
"Not."
"Let's settle this." He said and tried to sneakily catch her but she was running.
She saw Koga shook his head from the corner of her eyes as she ran.
" … Kids, you know, they never learn." He said with a very customized expression, and she had to laugh. The whole group did.
Suddenly she knew from which angle she was going to play it.
"Thanks for the idea, Koga-san."She said and turned around facing Ren running toward her. She was going to jump again. Knowing from just before, he would either jump too or turn around to catch her before she landed. But he would miss because he would anticipate a far bigger jump, and this one would be narrower. They ran toward one another and at last second, she hopped. Somersaulting in the air right as he was closing in on her. And from her upside down position when in the air she saw him move as planned. It only lasts a second to see his move but it was enough. He didn't jump but went straight to the position he imagined she would land to. But as soon as she had her feet toward the ground again, she cut her descent a bit, making a drop a bit faster, a bit earlier. Right where she wanted to go. Thus, instead of landing right in front of him, she landed just behind him. The instant she was down, she jumped up and again before he could turn around, and right on his back. Like a monkey. She had hesitated landing directly on his back from the high hop in the air but she had been too afraid to hurt him at the landing, even knowing that theoretically it was possible.
She locked her arms around his neck, and crossed her thighs around his hips. He froze and turned as rigid as a stone in her arms. "Got you." She whispered in his ear, and she wondered why she had the impression that the world got silent all of sudden, she couldn't hear a sound from elsewhere. Was it because her blood was rushing so hard at her temples or because she was too focused? She couldn't tell. She felt him shudder.
Very softly, he raised a hand and his long fingers curled around her right arm.
"What are you doing?" He let out, his tone a little too raw and unsure. And was he out of breath right now? Had she bumped him when she jumped on his back? But she had been as supple and light as a cat. It couldn't be. She tightened her thighs and he stopped breathing, at all.
"Capturing you," She replied, "though I didn't expect you to freak out at it."
He mumbled something she failed to catch before saying louder.
"I thought the game was about tackling the other to the ground, and I could just tumble myself backward so that you would lose." He pointed in that weird rough voice, though he didn't even bat a lash to put to execution his threat.
She thought he might just be uncomfortable and decided to put an end to this as fast as possible, no matter who much she loved having him in her arms.
"But who said I was staying there?"She commented with a smile, and clinging and supporting herself at his shoulders, she pivoted before he had time to react. Gliding against his left side-he made a strangled cut-out noise – and she passed under his arm until she was holding herself in monkey hold, still, but facing him. She made sure she wasn't touching his front once there. He took hold of her hips very delicately as he didn't know if he wanted to throw her away or support her, and she winced internally. He felt unease, indeed. Be over soon, don't worry.
"Hello there." She said. He was sporting disbelief on his face, mixed with confusion, what she would have described as embarrassment if she didn't know better, and – … something else.
"Kyoko, what's the- he breathed deeply – … If the plan is distracting me then – …"She shook her head as she came just a tidbit closer to his face. She looked into his eyes, and removed one hand from around his neck.
"The plan- …-is very simple."She said, though, in a way she guessed distracting was the right word. She just wanted him to be unable to see what her hand was doing before it was too late.
She let herself hang a little lower and by reflex, he supported her, looking as confused as ever.
She slid her hand at the back of his vigorous toned left thigh, and he was such a statue it was nearly too easy. He looked at her as if she had lost her mind but he was happy she had, and she had to chuckle. That look was so cute.
She pulled with ease his leg up, making him stand only on the other while still holding her. Being as strong as he was, he managed and she saw the dots starting to connect but acted before he could. She tumbled him out of balance, only having to push slightly on his chest. They fell together.
And he was on his back and in the snow again. And her, hands in the snow but sitting on his chest this time, the impetus provoked by the fall curtaining her hair around both of them as they stared at each other. She tried to not start to remember the other time they had found themselves in this situation, tried to not think about what it made her feel. Now was not the time!
He stared at her, stunned and apparently snuffed out by the whole ordeal, as if she had awed his breathing itself. Was it so surprising she won? She hoped it wasn't that. She pushed one his lock away from his face to clear his gaze, as he had done so many times before, and held it in the air as she told him, softly smiling.
"And that's three."
Cheers erupted around at her win.
Then she pulled away, and stood.
She extended him a hand but he just stayed there and stared at her, mystified. Then he placed his hand on his face, shutting his eyes in the process.
"You are not playing fair."He grumbled.
She turned around because he was just so adorable, she couldn't look, and noticed how dark it had become. And now that she thought about it, it was turning much colder too.
"Of course I am, I beat you fair and square." She protested with a huff but without looking back at him.
"That you did."He mumbled in his hand, seeming aggravated and tortured, and she turned back to him, wondering if she had missed something or if he really was just disappointed to have lost.
"Come on," She said, "Get up, it's getting cold, we should head back before catching something."
He pulled away his hand, and shot her a weakened yet softly annoyed look, and took the offered hand this time.
She teased him as they walked back to the other, asking if he was really that sored about losing when she knew very well he wasn't like that.
"No. I'm curious, though." He said, staring at her with inquiring eyes. "Would you tell me what sorts did you learn, now?"
She laughed.
PS: Hello everyone. I hope you are all good, healthy, happy with spring and enjoying life. Look who is back with another chapter, and not too long after last one with that. Anyway, this chapter is really mostly for fun's sake. I really you will enjoy this one as i did writting it. I hope I didn't miss anything because it wrote itself this time but i'm afraid i missed incoherences. So, please, tell me if there is any.
Lot of kisses and hugs.
Mimagfan.
AUTHOR OUT.