Chapter Two
“Ohayo!” Shingo greeted Tsubasa and Sho exuberantly as they entered the school press club room the next day. Tsubasa smiled in return while Sho merely nodded, neither exactly in the mood to have this interview.
Shingo was the editor of the school newspaper, but was more well-known as the gossip monger. He had a tendency to ask questions that went beyond the subject of whatever article he was writing, probing about their personal lives so that he could plaster his website with any interesting tidbits that he found. This time, he was doing an article on all the different sports clubs in the school regarding their goals and expectations. Tsubasa being the captain had no escape, while Sho, one of the best players and whom most thought was going to take over the captain’s armband when the third years retired, was asked by Taki to take his place for the interview since Taki had his own student council duties to attend to as president.
“Ah, so rare to get a chance to interview the Tsubasa-Sho pair.” Shingo remarked as the three settled into their seats. “Ok, our Waseio’s basketball team managed to clinch third place in the Nationals last year, and what with everyone talking about how good the current batch of players are, you think you guys can win it this year?”
“Last year’s third place was our highest achievement so far, and a lot of the credit has to be given to our senpais. To be able to repeat last year’s performance would be great for the team, and it would definitely be great if we could go one step further and be in the finals. I can’t guarantee that we’ll win it, but we definitely hope so.” Tsubasa replied in his usual amiable self.
“I predict a final between us and Hyouyama at the Nationals! And of course we’ll win.” Sho said confidently, inciting a look from Tsubasa. “Tsuba-chan, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my nose?”
Suddenly there was a flash.
“Picture for the paper!” Shingo said quickly. “Let’s continue.”
After a few more questions, Shingo finally wrapped up the interview. “So, last question before you go, you guys had tryouts yesterday right? How were the first years? Anyone who stood out?”
“The first years were good, and lots of them had potential. Ah, we all better watch out or they’ll take over our positions!” Sho quipped.
“Yamashita-kun and Ninomiya-kun were at the tryouts right?” Shingo asked enthusiastically.
“Eh?” Tsubasa and Sho were a little surprised that Shingo already knew the names of two of their juniors.
“Ah, those two are really cute, especially Yamashita-kun. He’s already a hit in this school, but it looks like the two are together. They’re ranked really high in my web poll. Second to Taki and Tsubasa of course.” Shingo said nonchalantly. He looked at his watch. “Sorry for taking up so much of your time. We all better hurry now or we’ll be late for class. Thanks for the interview!”
“What was that all about?” Tsubasa asked when Shingo left the room. There was no reply from Sho. Instead, the latter seemed to be brooding over something. Tsubasa waved his hand in front of Sho’s face. “What’s up?”
“Eh? Uh, nothing. Just a little tired that’s all. K, let’s go.” Sho said as he picked up his bag, draping his arm over Tsubasa’s shoulder, and the two left for class.
* * * * *
“Nino I miss you!” Yamapi glomped Nino on sight in the middle of the corridor during break. “Ah, why aren’t we in the same class? We’re ALWAYS in the same class!”‘
“You’ve been saying that since this morning.” Saa, Pi is so high tension today. Such an extreme turnabout from yesterday’s wallowing Pi. When am I going to get regular tension Pi back? …Maybe tomorrow.
“But I really missed Nino!”
“Yeah yeah, can we go eat?”
“Yo Nino, you guys gonna eat?” Kame asked as walked up next to them with Taisuke behind. “Wanna head to the cafeteria together?”
“Sure.” Nino nodded. The four boys started towards the cafeteria, Kame and Taisuke leading the way, and Yamapi with both arms around Nino from behind. “Pi, can you let go already. It’s very hard to walk like that.”
“Iyada.”
They soon entered the cafeteria, and Yamapi finally let go. Taisuke peered around the cafeteria, as if looking for someone.
Nino rolled his eyes. Probably looking for that Sakurai two-face creep. Nino had decided the day before that Taisuke was really a harmless guy, with no ill feelings. It’s just that he’s lightweight, clumsy, and has bad taste in his choice of idols.
Soon, the quartet were seated at a bench, digging into their lunch.
“Hey, you guys made it into the team too right?” Taisuke started. “Guess we’re teammates now!”
“Yeah! And Tensai Nino here actually thought he wouldn’t make it.” Yamapi poked Nino in the cheek. “Ah, I’m still upset that Nino’s not in the same class as me. We were in the same class in kindergarten, primary and middle school. And now I don’t have Nino in my class. Instead, I got this overly-genki guy sitting next to me who’s so loud I can’t even think.”
“You only have one person you’re complaining about? I have three surrounding me. One who talks too much, one who seems to be spaced out all the time and another who has that face that you just wanna punch.”
Kame laughed. “Nino, that’s not very nice.”
“Who said I was nice?”
“I think Nino’s quite nice. Yamapi poked you and you didn’t complain. Ah, I’m so envious of your friendship!” Taisuke said. “Even though there are a few people from Waseio Jr, like Toma-kun, in my class, all my good friends aren’t even in this school. But at least I got Kame!”
“Who wants you?” Kame stated flatly.
“Kame, that’s not very nice.” Nino returned the comment.
“Who said I was nice?”
“Kame, you should appreciate me as a friend. You don’t even have anyone from your old school here in Waseio.” Taisuke stated.
Ignoring Taisuke, Kame suddenly waved at someone over Nino’s shoulder. “Tsubasa-senpai!”
“Oh hello.” Tsubasa smiled at the table of juniors, holding his lunchtray.
“You’re alone? Why don’t you sit with us?” Kame continued, smiling as he shifted, nudging Taisuke further down the bench as he made space next too him.
“Oh alright. Thanks.” Tsubasa sat down. “How’s everyone doing today?”
“Eh, Tsubasa-senpai.” Taisuke bent forward to look past Kame. “Do you know where Sho-senpai is?”
“Sho? Oh I think he’s playing football.”
“Oh.” Taisuke paused, then started eating, rather quickly.
“Oi, I know you’re trying to finish faster so you can go out and watch the game, but the way you’re eating is making me lose my appetite.” Kame chided.
“Yo!” A hand suddenly slapped Taisuke on the back, causing Taisuke to almost choke, and Kame to snicker unsympathetically.
“TOMA!” Taisuke grumbled as two other first years joined the table. The said culprit Toma squeezed in next to his friend HaseJun, who had in lightning speed plopped next to Yamapi.
“YAMAPI! SO THERE YOU ARE! YOU LEFT CLASS SO FAST I COULDN’T LOOK FOR YOU! I WANTED TO ASK YOU TO COME WATCH THE FOOTBALL MATCH WITH ME. SOME SENPAIS ARE ALWAYS PLAYING DURING LUNCH BREAK!”
Nino turned Yamapi, speaking in a low whisper. “Is that the overly-genki guy?”
“Yes.”
“I see… Or I hear.” Nino snickered.
“What are you saying, Yamapi?!” HaseJun immediately zoomed in on Yamapi’s turn of attention.
“Ah nothing.”
“TSUBA-CHAN!” Another clear voice rang out. As if this table wasn’t full and noisy enough, they looked up to see Sho happily jogging towards the table. So did everyone else in the cafeteria.
“Sham-pai.” Taisuke managed to mumble with his mouth full with food, as Sho glomped Tsubasa.
“You’re having a secret meeting without me, Tsuba-chan? With our cute kouhais?”
Taisuke started coughing in a fit. “Taisuke? You okay? I’ll go get you a drink.”
“Sho-senpai is so nice!” Taisuke exclaimed as Nino rolled his eyes.
Sho soon returned. “Here.” He placed the glass in front of Taisuke, before heading back to the other end of the table and squeezing onto the bench next to Tsubasa.
Kame, feeling squashed, turned to Taisuke. “Oi, I know you’re disappointed that your beloved senpai isn’t sitting next to you, but please move.”
“Sho, you’re not eating?” Tsubasa glanced at the single can of drink in front of Sho.
“Ah, nah. Where’s Taki?”
“Cleaning duty.”
“Oh.” Sho nodded.
“Sakurai-senpai, that was a great goal you scored just now!” Toma was full of enthusiasm.
“Ah, arigato.”
HaseJun nodded in agreement. “Hai, hai, why isn’t Sakurai-senpai in the school football team?”
“Of course Sho-senpai can’t be in the football team, he’s already in the basketball team!” Taisuke replied proudly on behalf of Sho. “We all know that Sho-senpai is an all-rounder and talented in many areas though.”
Nino choked and started coughing, leading Sho to turn his attention opposite him in concern. “Nino, daijoubu? Are you still sick? Not feeling better from yesterday?”
“Eh, you were sick?” Kame asked.
“I’m done eating. Excuse me. Going off first. Pi you coming?”
“Ah yeah. Matte Nino. Wait for me.” Yamapi happily got up, glad to be escaping his genki classmate, draping his arm over Nino’s shoulder as they walked off.
“Hmm.” Tsubasa looked at Sho, recalling what Shingo had mentioned earlier.
“Ah.” Sho suddenly stood up. “I think I’ll go shower. I stink. Haha. Seeya guys around!”
* * * * *
“Kochira!” Sho called to Okada who delivered the pass. Receiving the ball, Sho sidestepped Koichi with a feint and made the twenty-foot shot. Swoosh. All net.
“Yosh!” Okada ran over to Sho who had pumped his hands in victory. Half-hugging each other, jumping in unison, they continued to chant. “Katta! Katta! Katta!”
“Urusai na.” Tsuyoshi made a face at Koichi as their two juniors celebrated. “Don’t get too cocky, gakis.”
“It’s not cockiness that we won 21 to 8, senpai.” Sho pointed out cheekily.
“Oretachi ga tsuyoi na.” Okada quipped. “Ne, Banbi?”
“Ne, Bussan!”
That began a dance by the two boys that could only be deemed comical, made notorious by the Kisarazu Cat’s Eye TV series. “Hassai Mossai! Hassai Mossai!”
“Isn’t it sick how hyper the usually mellow Okada gets when you put him next to Sho and infuse both of them with some television drama series?” Tsuyoshi muttered to Koichi, before yelling at the two dancing boys. “Oh would you two gakis stop with that Bussan-Banbi Cat’s Tail business already?”
“It’s not Cat’s Tail, it’s Cat’s Eye. Kisarazu Cat’s Eye!” Sho corrected.
“Who cares?” Tsuyoshi replied, twacking Sho on the head.
It was Wednesday afternoon and the more defensive Domotos were playing two-on-two with Sho and Okada. Or the Bussan-Banbi combi as they called themselves. As Tsuyoshi and Koichi grumbled, Nino on the sidelines similarly felt annoyed. Not that he was involved in the game, but it was irritating watching Sho. True, he was a darn good player and it was a good thing Taisuke was busy playing his own two-on-two, or he would be all gushy at the moment, but it was just annoying to watch all the lovey-dovey glomping. Sho was all chummy with Okada one moment with the Banbi-Bussan thing, and the next moment…
“Ow!” Sho yelp in pain. “Tsuba-chan!”
“Oi, don’t go around hitting your kouhais.” Tsubasa who was refereeing, half-chided, still smiling as Sho keeled over dramatically on Tsubasa’s shoulder.
Geez, three prong attack! Taisuke, Okada and Tsubasa. First year to third. Taking into account how a lot of the other students in school seemed to gush over Sho, the guy seemed to have all his bases covered. True, in his old school lots of people gushed over Yamapi, but at least Yamapi never went around glomping people. Nino seemed to have forgotten that the glomping position was taken up by Nino himself, Glomper Yamapi’s favourite glompee.
“Alright then. I’m going up to have a chat with Kimura-sensei.”
“Later, Tsuba-chan.” Sho turned to head towards the bleechers to get some water, and saw Nino, sitting cross-legged, all bunched up like a ball. He grinned at the sight. “Nino, you done playing?”
Nino shrugged as he turned away and took a swipe of water.
Sho tried again. “Wanna play one on one?”
“Okada-senpai.” Sho’s grin faded as Nino hopped off the bench, and jogged up to Okada. “Okada-senpai, could you please show me that defensive move you were telling me about the other day? I forgot.”
As Nino and Okada walked away laughing at something, Sho sat down, a bit defeated. Nino had been going out of the way not to be friendly to him since Day One. It had been too many occassions for it to be merely just his imagination. Nino would be talking and laughing with the other senior players, like he was with Okada, or the Domotos. Tsubasa and Taki always said Nino was a polite and sweet junior, when he wasn’t fired up over something. As for Nino with fellow first years, Sho could tell that while Nino wasn’t as chummy with Taisuke as he was with Kame, they always had some friendly banter going. And Yamapi… There was really no need to say more about Nino and Yamapi was there?
Anyway, the point was that somehow, Nino didn’t like him. That bothered Sho, who was not very used to being ignored, especially since he couldn’t find an overwhelming reason for Nino to. On occassions when he had committed something that warranted them to be angry with him, usually people forgave him easily. But somehow it was different in this case.
* * * * *
Yamapi alighted at the Waseio train station and walked over to the spot where Nino usually waited. The latter, propped against the concrete pillar, pulled out a long, thin, neatly wrapped box and handed it to him. “Otanjoubi omedetou!”
“Ah, arigato!” Yamapi broke into a huge smile, the one that broke many hearts in the past, enveloping Nino in a hug. “Nino daisuki!”
“Ow, let go of me. It’s only a gift, no need to over-react!” Nino’s muffled yelling drew many onlookers at the crowded station.
“Iya da.”
“Why not? Let go! Ah shouldn’t have given it to you on a high-tension day. See, everyone’s looking at us! Let go!”
“Iya da. Nino daisuki da-ka-ra!”
Finally, Nino managed to wriggle out of Yamapi’s grasp. “Really. You’ve been all high tension since Tuesday. You’re extreme you know that? Have you been missing sleep, talking till late on the phone again? ”
“Wah, you sound like my mother, Nino.” Yamapi chuckled as they started walking towards school. “Obaa-san mitai.”
“Seriously, I know you were darn happy when she called you to say sorry, and how she was stupid to leave you, blah blah blah. But really, that’s just cause she got cheated on herself. Which she totally deserved for what she did to you. I hope you’re not going to take her back or anything!”
“And like I told you, I’m not. Talking to her again just felt like some sort of resolution to the whole thing. I was darn happy that she called, but not because we’re getting back together or anything. Nor because she got cheated on, though I am glad that I was proven right and that fellow is a jerk. But anyway, after the talk, I just felt better. It helped me stop thinking about whether there was anything I could do different. After the talk, it was made clearer that it was going to happen anyway, whatever I did. Her going off with that guy, I mean.”
“Because you now know she’s just plain stupid?”
“Oi, don’t say that.” Yamapi chided Nino.
“But that’s what you mean. She was going to go off with that guy no matter what you do, because she’s just that kind of person.” Nino persisted. “So not worth your time of the day. So if you mean stupid, just say stupid.”
“I’m amused that you never ever liked her. Maybe I should trust your taste more?”
“Yeah, you say that now, but you never listen in the end. You always do what you like.”
“Anyway, the point is I’m happy!”
“Yeah, and so horribly high tension that it is causing me backaches from you jumping at me.”
“What? Like this?”
“PI!!”
* * * * *
“Nagase didn’t come again!” Koichi complained for the billionth time to anyone who was listening. He went on rambling about how his performance in baseball would depend on whether Nagase was there to play or not. Not knowing exactly who Koichi was talking about, Nino and Kame smiled, amused, as they waved goodbye to their senpais after the friendly baseball game.
“Thanks for asking me along, Kame.” Nino said happily, as he clasped and unclasped his gloved hand.
“Nah, you love baseball too, so of course I’d ask you along. After all, Tsubasa-senpai was the one who told me about the Saturday games, and there wasn’t any other first year around so it’s nice to have the company.”
“Glad to be of service.” Nino started to toss a baseball up and down in one hand, as the two walked amiably along. “This is the first time I’m hanging out alone with Kame ne? Ah, we don’t have Taisuke along to bully. Darn.”
“Heh, yup, the punchbag ain’t here. Ah, nor Yamapi ne? Usually, he’s always within a ten metre radius of Nino unless you’re in class. Haha.”
“Don’t exaggerate. Though we’re so used to each other we probably don’t even notice.”
“Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask about something.” Kame hesitated slightly, before going on to explain. When he finished, Nino had dropped the ball, and bent over, laughing.
“Nan da to? Who’s stupid enough to think that?… Pi and I.. A couple? Hahahahahah.” Nino sputtered. “And who’s that free… to.. to put it up on a website? Ha.. Hahaha… Owowow.” Nino clutched his stomach in pain. “Ow, I laughed too hard.”
Kame glanced, amused at the huddled form of Nino. “You might think it’s funny, but it’s not difficult for anyone to believe. I mean, there are even photographs.”
“Eh?? Photos? What, they edited them?”
“No, I think they’re just regular stuff you and Yamapi do all the time. It’s just that from the outside, it can look like you’re a couple.”
“Like what?”
“Like Yamapi glomping you all time. Or carrying you around on piggy-back. Yamapi sleeping, head in your lap, those kind of things.”
“How the heck has someone been taking so many photos without us knowing? What is this? Our personal paparazzi? And really, saying we’re a couple just because of that? How silly.”
Kame shrugged. “Like I said, it depends on how you look at it.”
“And people actually read this site?” Nino asked, incredulous.
“The website belongs to Muramaki Shingo, the editor of the school paper. Lots of people know the link. Just that not all would be bothered to visit the site I guess. I just visited because I was a bit bored. It’s pretty interesting if you don’t take it too seriously.” Kame said, a tad sheepish. “Don’t worry too much about it. You guys are just the hot topic now cause you’re new. Fresh meat, if you forgive my poor choice in metaphor. There’s tons more stuff on other ‘couples’.”
“Other couples?”
“Yeah.” Kame chuckled. “You don’t want to know.”
A thought flashed into Nino’s head, but he shook it away. “Yeah. I don’t. Ah, whatever. Who cares what other people think. Let’s just go home. Last one to the bus-stop is a Kame!” Nino sprinted off, laughing deviously.
“Oi!”
* * * * *
© Copyrighted by O-Baka! | Home
Rate the fic? :
(2 votes, average: 6.00 out of 6)
Loading ...
Didn’t you say your muses had gone on strike? *ggg* Glad to see they returned to you ^o^ *gives them an other cookie* (and an extra one for squeezing in some PiKame love ^.~)
Nino is so cruel by playing hard to get at the end *laughs* And by teasing Sho and making him repeat himself.. poor guy *pats Sho-chan* *lol*
But at least they FINALLY ended up together… somehow… I hope… XD”"”
The part about Ryo interrupting Pi’s date with Kame made me crack up X3
I’d soo~ love to read about this in detail *nudge nudge*
And I need to bribe your muses in favour of the sequel ^_______^
Konnichiwa..i’ve read the whole fic already and I have to say that I am impressed. I love your writing style a lot and the pairing is refreshing. The way the everyone was portrayed in here is great and makes the story smooth going. Keep up with the good work. Ganbatte XD
P.S I luv Kame-kun lol Of course I love others as well. They are so cute but if possible could you finish the sequel. I’m so excited