Chapter Eight
The stares, the pointing, the whispers, the nasty messages. Hours felt like days, days felt like weeks. Eventually, things became better. The rumour had died down, and so Kame behaved as if he was feeling better. But he wasn’t sure if he really felt better.
Sure, Ryo helped make things easier. His best friend was always there to protect him, like a constant bodyguard. Ryo would also pamper him, and do many things for him. It was unlike the usual Ryo to do so, because Ryo was the type of guy who didn’t like to show his nice side. Even when he wanted to be nice, he’ll do it in a mean way. Kame was glad that even if they could never be more, they were always going to be each others’ best friend. He couldn’t help but tease Ryo about how nice the latter had been throughout this time, and laughed even harder when he saw that Ryo was actually blushing.
“Urusai.” Ryo would always say, annoyed that he was being laughed at, which only made Kame laugh more.
Kame finally managed to calm down before Ryo decided to strangle him. “Ne, ne, Ryo-chan.”
“Nani?”
“So, are you going to tell Uchi?”
“Tell Uchi what?” Ryo made a face, not sure what Kame was trying to get at.
“That you love him.” Kame replied matter-of-factly.
Ryo stared blankly at Kame. “He already knows.”
“Oh.” Kame paused. “You mean he doesn’t love you back?”
Ryo shrugged. “I don’t know. Never did bother asking him.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean why?” Ryo frowned, confused. “I just didn’t ask, that’s all. It’s not like I’m some girlfriend who needs her boyfriend to tell her he loves her all the time. Anyway, it doesn’t really matter.”
“What do you mean it doesn’t really matter? Don’t you want to know if Uchi loves you back? Isn’t it important to know how he feels?”
“Well yeah… I guess it would be nice if I knew.”
“So ask him!”
“What? Call him up now just to ask him if he loves me? Isn’t that a bit random?” Ryo rolled his eyes. “And anyway, when did my love life become any of your concern? Mr-I-Have-A-Crush-On-Akanishi-Jin.”
“Hey, don’t call me that.” Kame stuck out a tongue at Ryo. “It should be Mr-I-Used-To-Have-A-Crush-On-Jin-But-Not-Anymore.”
“Really?” Ryo raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.
“Yeah. Jin’s a nice guy, and it’ll be great if we can be friends at least.” Kame explained. “But er, after this whole ‘drama’, don’t need another one by going out with Jin. Plus, he obviously isn’t interested in me.”
“Why not?” Ryo asked. “Why wouldn’t he be interested in you?”
“How would I know? You want me to call him up now just to ask him why? Isn’t that a bit random?” Kame said, using Ryo’s words and thus getting a smack on the head. “Itai!”
“Pfft, I didn’t even hit that hard.” Ryo smacked Kame on the head once more. “Anyway, you should get to training now right? Don’t wait for me when you’re done okay? Coach just told me I need to stay back to make up for the training sessions I missed. Seems the stupid senpais are complaining about the biased treatment. The things I do for you.”
“Hey, I never said that you had to skip training to accompany me all the time.” Kame pouted. “Mou… but that means I’ll be going home by myself?”
“Well, even though it’s not on the way, you can whine at Yamapi to go back with you. Now that everything has died down, I think it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Kame hesitated. He hadn’t spoken more than a few words to Yamapi since that day at Hyouyama’s cultural festival. It was always just ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’ and nothing else, like they were strangers. Even at their last training, when Kame thought that with people realising that the rumour was untrue, things might go back to normal with Yamapi, but they didn’t.
“Earth to Kame!” Ryo waved a hand in front of Kame’s face. “Is there something wrong?”
“Eh? No-nothing. You better get going before your coach gives you a lecture.” Kame pushed Ryo along.
“You sure everything’s okay?”
“Yep! See ya tomorrow!”
* * * * *
When Kame had stepped into the gym, he was greeted by Taisuke’s screaming.
“Kame! Oh gawd, I just saw- Ahhhhhhh!”
“Saw what?” Kame furrowed his eyebrows.
“Taisuke, calm down.” Kame turned to see Sho walking towards them, looking a little embarrassed. Nino wasn’t far behind, looking a little sheepish himself, while the other regulars continued doing warm-ups as if nothing had happened. From the corner of his eye, Kame spotted Yamapi bouncing a basketball, laughing hysterically, causing an annoyed Nino to whack Yamapi on the head.
“Kame! Sho-senpai and, and, Ni-Ni-Nino! They- they-”
“Are a couple?” Kame helped finish his sentence, causing Taisuke to be taken aback. “I already know.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?!”
“Taisuke-”
“They wanted me to keep it a secret.” Kame replied nonchalantly. “Although I thought that everyone probably figured it out already. You’re pretty slow, Taisuke.”
“How was I supposed to know?! And Sho-senpai, why did you two have to keep it a secret! And for me to find out that way…” Taisuke covered his eyes. “Oh my gawd, my eyes.”
“What happened exactly?”
“Er, Nino and I were, er, in the shower room, and er, we thought no one else was there, and er…” Sho said, his face turning red.
“Uso! You two were making out in the shower room?!” Kame said melodramatically, loud enough for everyone to hear, but even then, there wasn’t any reaction from anyone except Yamapi, who appeared to laugh even harder.
“Kame!” Nino shouted from where he stood next to Yamapi. “Could you have said it any louder?!”
“Oh c’mon, Nino, the whole school probably knows about you and Sho.” Tsuyoshi said from where he was doing warm-ups with Okada and Koichi.
“See, I told you so.” Yamapi said, after he managed to stop laughing. He then proceeded to glomp Nino. Kame smiled at the sight, though he couldn’t help but feel a slight pang of jealousy.
“Yo.” Kame greeted the two as he joined them, ignoring Taisuke who was still reeling from shock.
“Yo.” Nino greeted in return. Yamapi merely nodded, smile faded from his lips. Sensing the awkwardness that still existed between them, Nino quickly tried to lighten the mood. “Hey Kame, Koichi-senpai says there’s baseball this weekend. Wanna join us for the game?”
“Yeah sure!” Kame said as enthusiastically as possible, trying to hide his sadness. “But wouldn’t Sho-kun be sad that he can’t spend time with you? I mean, he must really want to spend more time with you if he can’t seem to keep his hands off you even in school.”
“Oi!” Nino pointed a finger at Kame, as if warning the latter.
“Minna! We have news for you guys.” Taki said as he and Tsubasa entered the gym, back from their meeting with Kimura-sensei. “It’s about our training schedule during the summer break.”
“Ahhhhhh! Nooooooo! It’s our vacation! Don’t make us train!” Koichi started to protest melodramatically but was ignored.
“The regulars will be having a joint 4-day training camp with Hyouyama.” Tsubasa stated. “I’ll be having a discussion with Hyouyama’s buchou about the team and rooming arrangements. More details will be given closer to the date. Now everyone, go run 15 laps. Ijou.”
“Nande Hyouyama?” Nino grumbled as they began their warm-up run. The prospect of having to spend four days with people he didn’t like in some camp situated in the outskirts wasn’t something Nino was looking forward to. “Although Kame, I guess you’ll be happy huh.”
Kame shrugged. “I don’t really mind. I think it’ll be good training.”
“And your Akanishi will be there.” Nino added.
“Ah yeah, Jin would be there.”
“I hope that Nino and I would be sharing a room!” Yamapi said suddenly, poking Nino in the cheek. “That’ll be fun!”
“I would say I hope to be rooming with Kame, but I don’t, because I’m scared that Ryo-chan might pop-up suddenly and whack me on the head for that.” Taisuke remarked. “Actually, Kame, why isn’t Ryo-chan here today? He’s been your ever-present bodyguard that it seems weird seeing you without him.”
“Don’t exaggerate.” Kame hit Taisuke on the head. “Anyway, he’s gone for his own training. Despite the fact that he’s already in the national school team, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have to go for training y’know.”
“Sou… Anyway no one thinks that you’re cheating on Ryo-chan with Yamapi anymore so there’s nothing for Ryo-chan to worry about ne?” Taisuke said, not realising that he had just increased the level of awkwardness between his two teammates.
“Maa, you guys wanna go for ramen after training?” Nino asked, trying to change the subject.
“Gomen ne, Nino, I can’t go.” Yamapi replied, while Taisuke nodded his head excitedly.
“I don’t mind! Is Sho-senpai going too?”
“Yes, Sho-kun’s going too.” Nino rolled his eyes. “Pi, how come you can’t go?”
“I got a date.”
“Again?” Nino made a face. He had thought that Yamapi was only going out on dates every day after school so that the rumour would die down. And now that it had, he had fully expected his best friend to date less often. But it wasn’t Yamapi dating so regularly that was odd to Nino. It was his best friend’s general behaviour these days that got Nino worried.
“Yeah, Hiromi wanted to catch a movie that starts screening in theatres today. Gomen ne.”
Nino nodded slowly. “It’s okay… But Kame, you’ll be joining us right? Ryo-chan can join us too if he wants.”
“Ah yeah.” Kame forced a smile. “But Ryo-chan probably won’t be able to make it cos he has to stay back for extra training.”
“Sou. Guess it’ll be four of us then.”
“Sou…”
* * * * *
Yamapi gulped when he read the list pasted on the basketball club noticeboard. The list showed the teams each regular was assigned to, as well as the rooming arrangements. He decided that his buchou might be a little bit sadistic, the way the arrangements turned out.
“So, who’s with you?” Nino asked as he joined Yamapi at the noticeboard, resting his arm on Yamapi’s shoulder. Nino smiled as he spotted his name. “Great! I’m in Sho-kun’s team.”
“Yeah, but Aiba-san is in that team too.” Yamapi stated.
“What?” Nino scanned the list once more. “Argh. Who the heck would wanna put Sho and that guy in the same team?”
“Tsubasa-senpai?” Yamapi said. “Wanna come to my team instead then? You can switch with Kame.”
Nino eyed Yamapi. “Why? I know with that rumour you two had to distant yourselves, but before that, weren’t you always gluing yourself to Kame like you two are best friends?”
“Nino’s my best friend!” Yamapi enveloped Nino in a bear hug. “We can’t be separated!”
“Well I’m not willing to change teams. I can’t leave Sho-kun alone with his Aiba-chan.”
“Then I’ll switch with Taisuke since he’s in your team!”
“That’s not possible, Yamapi.” Taisuke popped out behind the two of them. “You can’t change the assignments. And even if you can, I’m not gonna switch with you.”
“But Nino and I should never be separated! Don’t you understand? C’mon, switch with me pleeeeease?”
“No! I want to be in Sho-senpai’s team! Nothing you will do will change my mind.” Taisuke said firmly, before covering his ears and walking away so that Yamapi couldn’t try to persuade him further.
“It’s not like we won’t see each other just because we’re on different teams y’know.” Nino said, still curious as to why Yamapi was so insistent on changing teams. “Is there a real reason behind your whining?”
“I’m not whining.”
“Yes you are. And you’re pouting too. But don’t change the subject.”
Yamapi took a deep breath. Trying to keep a secret from Nino was tough. “Akanishi is going to be in the same team as me.”
“So?” Nino made a face. “You don’t like him?”
“Kame likes him.”
“Yeah, I think the whole world knows that.”
“If I’m there I’ll be like a light bulb.” Yamapi explained, though when he said it out loud, he wasn’t even convinced by his own reasoning.
Nino seemed equally unconvinced by Yamapi’s excuse. “Aren’t you supposed to be Kame’s matchmaker?”
“I’m not going to matchmake Kame with anyone anymore.”
“Eh? Why? Is it because of what happened, you’re now worried about creating more misunderstandings?”
Because I want him for myself. Yamapi thought immediately, but shook the thought out of his mind. “No, because Kame is Ryo-chan’s.”
“…”
“What? It’s obvious. Can’t you tell?”
“You know, even though they may seem like a couple, I just have this feeling that those two are just best friends, like you and I. They’re just very mushy together, more so than us probably, and Ryo-chan’s very protective of Kame, but…” Nino shrugged. “I dunno. I just think that maybe they aren’t a couple. Plus, wasn’t there the guy from Osaka? What’s his name… Uchi right?”
Yamapi hesitated. He had completely forgotten about Uchi. Nino did have a point about Uchi, but Yamapi couldn’t be sure that there was absolutely nothing between Kame and Ryo. And even if they weren’t a couple at the moment, Yamapi was sure that Kame had feelings for Ryo, not just a simple crush.
“You like Kame, don’t you?” Nino said abruptly, as if he suddenly figured out what was going on. “That’s why you’ve been behaving weirdly?”
“Wha- What are you talking about?” Yamapi feigned ignorance, but knew that it was hard to do so when this was his best friend he was talking to.
“You really are in love with Kame.” Nino said again, more convinced this time. “Wow, I think this is the first time you’ve fallen in love with someone I actually don’t dislike.”
“Don’t talk rubbish. I like girls, remember. Kame’s not a girl.”
“Is that the reason why you’re so scared?” Nino raised an eyebrow. “That, and you think Kame and Ryo-chan are a couple?”
Yamapi pouted.
“Instead of pouting, ever thought of telling Kame?”
“This coming from someone who refused to admit his feelings for Sho-kun.”
“Hey, everyone goes through the ‘in denial’ phase.” Nino protested. “Anyway, I’m probably not going to interfere in your love life. You always make things so complicated.”
“Gee, I feel so loved.”
Nino gave Yamapi a pat on the back. “You don’t need to be loved by me.”
* * * * *
© Copyrighted by O-Baka! | Home
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@Chapter 1
OMG, can’t believe u really listened to me for once and posted it up today Oo
*jumps around*
I’d shower u with love now, if this wouldn’t make u wanna throw up or something *rofl* XD
*glomps u instead then* ;p
*runs*
@Chapter 1
awwww how sweeett hahaha i didn’t go on a-baka to read this..actually im not even sure if u posted it on a-baka..but AWWWW kame and ryo!!! hhehehe well if part 2 is gonna be up by kame’s birthday..thats only 3 more days! ganbatte!! im looking forward to it~~ what happens with akanishi?? =]] and why dont sho and nino tell the others..? i was waiting so long for the 2nd part hahaah i read double quite a while ago =DD heheh thx for writing!!
@Chapter 1
*is still jumping around*
Aw~ I’m so happy u finally posted it up! *hearts*
And I’m also happy that Jin didn’t get to appear more than for this one scene *gets killed by Akame-fans* XD Haha, no seriously, he’d just make things even more complicated right now, while Kame and Ryo needed to figure their issues out first ^.~
Kame constantly sulking just makes me wanna pat him all the time – So cute *laughs* It’s a pity Yamapi never got to stay close to him for long, but well, shouldn’t have Ryo get jealous, too, right now, ne? *pats Ryo as well for having to bear with a jealous!Kame* *rofl*
Speaking of Ryo, for some reason the ‘Yamapi’s willing slave’ term had me crack up so badly. Wonder if he’d really go as far as become a willing slave for Pi like Kame suspects XD
And I loved this part:
“But I like Kame too.” Yamapi stated easily.
“Yamapi, you’re making this whole thing more complicated. Don’t make the shape even weirder!”
“It’s still a square.”
“Oh yeah, you’re right.”
————————————–
Yay for Taisuke’s logic! XDDD
But to keep it a square I’m sure Jin will have to show up again soon. Really curious how this next encounter is going to be~
So, don’t forget (haha, as if my constant bugging would let u forget about it XD) to post the next chapter up on Kame’s bday, ne? ^_______________________^
@Chapter 1
See! It’s posted! It’s posted even if Idol-chan said it wasn’t going to be~! x3 And it’s 6 pages of a lovely, printed ficcy~ It’s even more lovely than the…oh my, I forgot mom bought be doughnuts! *looks at the clock* It’s past 11 pm ;___;~ Too late for sweets…
I absolutely loved the “keitai strap” quarrel~ I’m obessed with matching straps and it was so cute~ Ryo-chan is really mean to Kame sometimes ^_^; Such a baka. But on the other hand it was incredibly sweet how when he asked Jin to go on a date with Kame, but lied to Kame later~ *glomps both of them* Just why was Jin simply sitting there and not even noticing them? Should I feel sorry for him, because he was tired or scold him for ignoring others? *blinks*
I laughed at Pi’s conspiracy… So childish. So was the conversation with Taisuke…. How come you guys make them so…how to put it not to offend the boys… well… stupid? XD
“See! Three! There’s one more I don’t know about!”
“Eh, Kame, I was talking about you.” – my favorite part xD So clueless it hurts~!
Sho-kun’s “time-out” also fitted there perfectly. Is his mind ever off the court? Of course, if Nino isn’t around?
Eh, Nino was lucky to get that surprise bday party. It had to be a surprise if it was a week earlier, nee. Such a pity it usually happenes in fanfiction and movies only. I’d like one, too. But before I started complaining at my friends not being creative enough, I dropped my jaw at Taisuke’s announcement. That boy is scary ^_^; *glomps Taisuke* Or maybe Yamapi the Drama Queen is the scary one..?
“childhood sweethearts” = OMG XDDD I envy Sho for not being jealous and killing Pi XD He’s so calm *admires Sho*
Ryo-chan’s talk at the end…SWEET ;___;
So. Do I really have to say it was – - – perfect? *fangirls* It’s good to know that I don’t =^____^=
Oh, but the way, I’ll just use the opportunity and compliment the new layout! ^_^ It’s extremely loveable. It’s just a pity that it’s black… Black is no good, too dark for me… But it’s cute anyway **^__^** Yay~! *glomps the layout*
Just stab be for being so irrationally cheerful today *hides*
*glomps the authors*
@Chapter 1
yay! I really liked this. and yup, it was really sweet of Ryo to ask Jin out for Kame even though he likes him. poor Ryo, and I loved sulking and jealous Kame! ^_^ I also agree with SumeragiAeka about the layout. Love the pictures used, and looking forward to reading the next chapter!
@Chapter 1
ohhhhhhh…. this is great! i read “double” not too long ago and really enjoyed it. i’m so glad you’re now writing (another, lol) fic with a prominent kame… and potentionally one of my favorite pairings, too.