Hi!!
Loooooooong time no see! I'm actually back with an update!
I wrote the first half of this chapter months ago, and just finished the other half yesterday, so I hope the transitioning isn't too wrecked up. The chapter came out somewhat well, there might be parts that don't fit, don't worry about those.. too much.
Have fun! (hopefully)
_______Chapter 4
Yuko watched two seats from the side as Haruna looked off through the window during lecture. Haruna looked so calm, Yuko thought. One might say that it's that blank look of a day dreaming air-head, but to Yuko, Haruna is doing much more that that, she's probably thinking about profound things. The kind of things that are beyond the classroom. Yuko wasn't really sure what those things are though, but they're kinds of things that Haruna cares about behind all the unintentional airhead facade.
“Kojima! Are you paying attention? Answer the question.” Haruna bounced up upon hearing the teacher call her name in an alarming tone. She looks to the side for her classmates signaling for emergency help. Yuko really wanted to help her out, but she too was not paying attention. A couple of students gestured Haruna the answer with their hands, but they all gave different answers. Not knowing what to do, Haruna chose to believe her guts and said out some random numbers.
“17.” Haruna said with a straight face hoping that she'll be correct.
“Very good.” The teacher said and walked back to his usual spot behind the class podium. Haruna nodded at her accomplishment.
Yuko continued to watch Haruna and saw her mouth a 'Yatta' to herself, totally oblivious to the small chain of stalkers she had accumulated from her actions. It is not only Yuko who is staring at Haruna, Minegishi is also keeping an eye on the two of them simultaneously. Then we have a few other students who noticed the ongoing stalking activity and decided to participate as well, thinking that there are interesting events going on. Not that looking at Haruna isn't interesting.
“Kojima-san, please demonstrate to the class how you did that problem on the board. Here's the chalk.” Haruna gulped, but kept a neutral face. She was sure that this is a revenge by the teacher for being able to answer the previous question correctly by chance. Very slowly she stood up, she pushed her chair to the side, thinking hard about a way out of the situation. She didn't even know what the question was! How on earth is she supposed work it out in front of the class? However, she knew that her classmates knew fully well that she guessed the answer, so everything should be alright. Haruna glanced up to the clock on the wall, and a flash of hope rushed through Haruna's mind when she saw that the bell would be ringing this very minute.
Ringg~ “Alright. Class is over for today, we'll continue the lesson next time. You may all leave.” The teacher gave Haruna a funny look and left the classroom.
Not before long, students rushed out of their classrooms to the ever crowded cafeteria, squeezing themselves into the line for food. Haruna who packed a lunch to school did not have the reason to rush, she did things in her own pace. Usually Haruna would eat lunch in the classroom with Minami before venturing out for a walk, but today was different. She's bored. She needed a change. The classroom is too tight for her it's suffocating. So Haruna walked out of the class, not knowing where her destination will be, she just needed some air.
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Minegishi Minami POV
“Yuko.” I stood over and tapped on my friend's desk when I saw her packing up to leave for lunch. Sometimes I wish the girl would do what she's supposed to do for once, without needing a nudge from an outside source. I know darn well the she has thought about it, but didn't have the guts to act. Yuko faces me meekly with a 'please don't kill me' look on her face. It makes me wonder what kind of face I am making right now.
“Haruna, she's spacing out more than usual, and more importantly she just left unaware that she didn't ask ME to have lunch with her, wherever she's going. Which is a bad sign, because we always. Repeat. Always! Eat lunch together.” I admit that I'm exaggerating a tiny bit, but it's working wonders in getting her attention since Yuko is starting to panic.
“I-is it my fault?” Yuko asked, voice shaking slightly.
“Yeah, it's your fault.” I said. “Well, you said you wanted to fix this and get everything back to its normal state, but as far as I see it--”
“Stop! I know!” Yuko interrupted, blocking my face with her hands. “I just don't know what to do..”
“Bleh.” I mocked.
“Mii-chan!”
“I know you do know, you're just too scared to do it, thinking that it can wait for tomorrow, or crap like that. Tell you what, it can't. Not anymore. I really want to see you get about with 'talking to Haruna' that you've planned out with the same motivation as you do for your track practice. Back then, in our first year, you said you wanted to be the fastest runner in school. Now you're the fastest, and the ace.” I said and patted her head. “Go find her.”
“Mii-chann...” Yuko reached to hug me from her sitting position, snuggling her face onto my sotmach. “Mmm... You're so soft... and warm~... I don't know what I would do without you.”
“I wonder what in your perverted self did Haruna ever fall for..”
“I'm sexy...”
“Oh right. Then she must be a closet pervert too then..” I rolled my eyes.
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Haruna is sitting in front of a place of half eaten spaghetti. From the looks of the area around her, she must be at a restaurant. The restaurant is decorate with an antique wooden look. The walls are paneled with dark wood and the lights, although electrical, imitate those of candlesticks. The light is dim and glowy with a surreal touch to it. Somehow every corner of the place seems to emit an unrealistic vibe, a feeling that Haruna felt uncomfortable with. Haruna felt her handbag vibrate, followed by a familiar song. The volume of the song grew with every extra second she took to find the phone. Louder and louder it rang. When Haruna found the phone, she looked at the caller ID. Is says 'Home'.
“Hello?” Haruna said into the phone, she heard her voice echo in it slightly.
“Haruna! Where are you? Come back home quickly, everyone's waiting for you. The guests have already arrived!” A voice answered from the device. It sounded almost as if the person was annoyed. Haruna could picture the owner of the voice flapping her arms in frustration, so she chuckled to herself. Now Haruna knew that her task here is to go home, but who are the 'guests' that is waiting for her? She didn't even recognize the voice, worse yet, this restaurant she's in, she has no clue whatsoever of coming here, nor where it is located. Her spaghetti is half eaten, but she couldn't remember being the one eating it.
“This is weird.” Haruna thought to herself as she left the restaurant. Just outside there is a three-way intersection. One of these roads will lead her to her house, and it must be the one that goes up the hill. She just knew, don't ask how. She also knows that her house is very far from here, and without proper transportation it would take many hours to get there.
Haruna didn't really have a choice since the area around the restaurant is deserted. It's just a restaurant in the middle of nowhere next to a three-way intersection. Haruna started walking up the hill on the side of the road, at this rate she wouldn't be able to get back home before dark for sure. The lack of people also freaked her out a bit, but what can she do. Suddenly, a red SUV pulls up next to her. The windows rolled down to a familiar face. Haruna recognizes the passenger immediately and lighted a relieved smile.
“Hey. Do you want a ride back home?” Mariko asked.
“Will the be a bother?” Haruna said peering into the car.
“Of course not, I'm going to your house anyways.”
“Oh, okay then. Thanks a lot. You really saved me, I thought I needed to walk back home.”
“No problem.” Mariko laughed.
The ride is a pleasant one. The two of them chatted along the way, until the driver, whom Haruna has never seen before, mumbled something incoherent, to which Mariko told Haruna that he wanted to stop for a minute to buy coconuts. Haruna then looked out the car window to see that there are indeed stalls selling coconuts along the road, which added immensely to the weird, borderline creepy, factor about this whole setting she is in. Haruna exited the car to browse on the coconut merchandise, because she didn't have anything better to do. She was sure she only left the SUV for ten seconds, but by the time she came turned back, it was already gone. Then the whole world began to fade and a cloud of black enveloped Haruna's vision.
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Haruna felt cool grass-like material tickle her bare legs and hands. She slowly opened her eyes to find that everything is too bright for her liking, so she closed them again. Just when she was about to doze off the the second time a voice greets her.
“Yo! Wake up, Nyan-Nyan. You've been asleep for two years already.” Yuko said, sitting next to the sleeping Haruna.
“Haruna rubbed her eyes. She looked at Yuko's face, then to her shirt.
“Yuu-chan, I feel really sorry for you that you haven't been able to graduate with the rest of the grade....”
“Huh?” Yuko tilted her head to the side, trying to decipher Haruna's words. “Oh, right. Dammit.” She smacks herself on the forehead.
Haruna chuckled at her friend's mistake and reaction. “So what brings you here?”
“Well, school has ended.” Yuko said.
“What!?” Haruna sat up in alert. She looked around and saw a group of students playing soccer on the field.
“Yeah. Most of the people kinda left for home and clubs, and I happen to spot you sleeping near the soccer field. Figured it'll be bad to leave you alone in a secluded area...”
Haruna fumbles in her skirt pocket for her phone, which is tangled in a bundle of phone straps (a couple of them are given to her by Yuko). The phone reads: 12:20 PM.
“It's still lunch.” Haruna said in a low voice.
“Gotcha.” Yuko winks, earning a pout and a bop on the head by her friend. “Owwie.. You didn't have to be so violent about it.” Yuko whined, rubbing the inflicted spot on her head.
“I'm sorry.”
“Don't apologize! I was only kidding... Actually I'm the one who's supposed to be sorry...” Yuko faltered.
“For what?” Haruna asked.
“...For hurting you.”
Haruna didn't say anything. Her expressions are unreadable, but they didn't seem to be on the 'bad' side. Yuko sighed at the thought that after all the years they've been together she ought to be able to read Haruna like a book, but that wasn't the case here. The taller girl has always been good at keeping a blank expression, maybe too good. Haruna is probably thinking, but Yuko didn't know what exactly her friend is thinking about, so she decided to quickly ship in an explanation.
“When you told me that you're in love with me that day... I didn't know what to do. Actually I didn't even know what you meant until it kinda popped up into my head, so I asked. Mii-chan said that I must be a retard not to know, but then Mii-chan's irrelevant. I don't even know why I brought her up.... What I'm trying to say is that, I'm no good, Nyan-Nyan, and I'm sorry for what I did.” Yuko looked into Haruna's eyes for a fleeting moment before casting the gaze back down to the grass. “In my confused state I thought if I left the issue alone it would eventually go away and I wouldn't need to think about it anymore. But obviously we all know that it didn't. Every time I see you look so down and spacey, I know it's entirely my fault. I'm sorry for being so selfish and immature to you....”
“Yuu-chan..” Haruna whispered.
“Haruna, I'll say this again, I'm sorry for what I did. It's okay even if you won't forgive me, I just needed you to know and understand. I avoided you for months. And even so, you still put up with it and hung out with me with a smile, even right now. I don't even know what to do with myself anymore.” Yuko shook her head violently and rubbed her eyes.
Haruna smiled a gentle smile and brought her hands to cup Yuko's cheeks. “I accept your apology, Yuu-chan. And you should have seen the look you're making just now. It's cute.”
“Mouuu,” Yuko whined. “Actually there is another thing I have to say..”
“Hm? What is it?” Haruna prompted.
“I've been thinking about this a lot. Umm, it might be too late now though...”
Haruna noticed that Yuko turned her face away slightly to his her tinting cheeks, an action which the taller girl thought is just super adorable. “Just say it...”
“I have been thinking that I might have, u-uh.. fallen in l-l-love with you without noticing it myself. B-but I'm not entirely sure if this feeling is described as something like that.” Yuko stammered, afraid of Haruna's response. “I think could give it a try... you know, about us. But only if you're okay with it of course!”
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“Hey Nyan-Nyan. There's someone sneaking around the soccer field storage room. Look behind you.” Yuko said from behind Haruna's ears, while the two of them are still in hugging position. They have been embracing for a while now and Yuko can see that Haruna is too comfortable to flex a muscle.
“You're ruining the mood, Yuu-chan.” Haruna replied flatly.
“I am? Sorry.” Yuko faltered.
“Mhmm.. Apology accepted,” Haruna hummed.
Yuko continued to watch the mysterious figure, who wore a brownish trench coat and a hat resembling Sherlock Holmes of some sort, as he(?) wandered around the storage room. He seems to be interested in the group of students playing ball on the field.
“Nyan-Nyan.. The person won't leave...” Yuko said again.
“Alright, we'll go check it out then,” Haruna said seeing that Yuko's preoccupied mind won't be dropping the topic anytime soon. It would be better to have the shorter girl's full attention directed at herself.
The area in front of the storage room is deserted when the two of them came. Yuko decided to search the place around in hope of finding the mysterious person. Haruna was against the plan at first, but decided to give in seeing the adventurous spark flashing in Yuko's eyes.
“I can't find him.” Yuko said from the back of the storage room.
“Maybe he already escaped when he saw us coming this way,” Haruna commented.
“But I was watching him all the time! Where'd he go?” Yuko exclaimed.
“I don't know..”
“I'll check inside the storage room,” Yuko said and opened the door.
“Wait!” Haruna shouted, but she was too late, Yuko had already stepped inside. A crashing noise immediately followed making Haruna panic and run in after Yuko.
“Yuko!” Haruna shouted and reached for the lights, but they wouldn't turn on. The storage room is sparsely lit, from the tiny air ventilation windows. She saw a fraction of Yuko on the floor covered with a hill of cardboard boxes on top of her. Haruna quickly pushed the boxes, which are surprisingly heavy, to the side to free the small girl. Yuko groaned as the weights are lifted off her.
“Yuu-chan, Yuu-chan, are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere? Can you move? You didn't break anything right?” Haruna asked squeezing Yuko's hand.
“Im alright, Nyan-Nyan. I just... tripped in the dark and plunged into a stack of boxes, and they all crashed down onto me,” Yuko said sheepishly.
Suddenlt Haruna felt herself being pulled back thrown out of balance, and the next thing she knew is that her neck is locked by someone's arm.
“HEY!” Yuko yelled, furious at the attacker. Acting purely on impulse, Yuko stood up and jump kicked the intruder in the torso as hard as she could. The intruder grunted and swayed off balance, so Haruna took the chance to elbow him and escaped his grasp. Seeing Haruna free, Yuko began throwing boxes and heavy sport equipments at the mysterious figure.
“Ah! Ow! Stop! Stop!” The figure shouted in pain and annoyance. But Yuko didn't listen and continued her bombardment, aiming right for the race.
“I said stop!!” The figure shouted again, just before a baseball smacks his forehead, knocking him unconscious.
In the dimly lit storage room, Haruna saw that the mysterious person fits the exact description Takamina has given to her the other day, during her peculiar visit to the student meeting room. Then she thought of Wakamatsu Riku, the committee member who is in charge of this incident. Then she thought of the way Riku eyed her, and that she she needed to report this unconscious person to him.
“Yuu-chan, do you have Wakamatsu-san's phone number?” Haruna asked.
“Yeah I do.” Yuko mumbled, still angry at the mysterious person. “Why do you need it?”
“I was asked to report on the 'mysterious flasher roaming the school' to him. Now that we've managed to catch that said person...” Haruna explained, then stopped, frowning. “Why do you have his number anyways?”
“He gave it to me when I went to watch the soccer game some time before. I was sitting on the viewer stand so he gave me a piece of paper with his number on it before the game started.” Yuko laughed.
Haruna squinted in disbelief.
“I thought it was funny so I kept it.”
“Oookay..”
Haruna dialed the numbers on her phone. When Riku picked up, she asked him to bring along a couple of committee members to help relocate the flasher's body to the office.
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Ding Dong~ [school information sound]
“Kasai Tomomi, homeroom 2-B, please report to the office ASAP” The voice of Takahashi Minami rang from the speakers throughout the whole school. Even Tomomi who is watering flowers for the school's gardening club in a distant flower patch heard the report.
“Whatt? Why did she have to humiliate me like that? Did I get into trouble? But I haven't done anything bad before...” Tomomi whined, putting her gardening activities to a halt. “Please tell me I'm not in trouble, Tomochin.”
“You're definitely in trouble.” Her friend answered cooling from her seat on a nearby bench, with a fashion magazine in hand.
“Meanie!” Tomomi stuck out her tongue at Tomochin.
“You better go now,” Tomochin said, unwavered.
“Will you come with me?”
“I'll think about it,” Tomochin said, not looking from the magazine.
Tomomi pouted and stomped to the highschool building, not bothering to wait for her stupid friend. A smile tugged her lips when she heard footsteps following her from behind. Not so long after, Tomochin is walking beside her pretending to be looking at interesting trees, and Tomomi could feel a sense of warmth enveloping her hand.
'
So tsundere!' Tomomi thought.
“I'll wait outside,” Tomochin said.
Inside the office room three people waited, Takahashi Minami, Wakamatsu Riku, and the freshly captures mysterious trench coat person.
“Hi, can I help you guys with anything?” Tomomi greeted.
“Yeah. This person over here has requested to meet you.” Minami said gesturing at the person.
“Eh?” Tomomi blinked in confusion.
The flasher removed his hat and flu mask to reveal a feminine face.
“Mee-tan!” Tomomi gasped. “What are you doing here? And in these clothes too!”
“The guard won't let me into the school properly, so I needed to sneak in and whatnot. I needed to see you,” Mee-tan explained.
“That doesn't really explain the clothes,” Tomomi frowned.
“I thought it'll be fun to get into character and scare some cute school girls.” Mee-tan said plainly.
“Okay... Whimsical as always. What do you want from me?”
“I just got kicked out from my shared apartment. I need somewhere to stay, so--”
“No! …. I mean, my house is already full,” Tomomi cried.” And besides, there is a reason I moved out from our old place... It's because you.. liked to do weird stuff to me when I'm asleep.” Redness crept up Tomomi's cheeks as she flinched her arms away from Mee-tan, turning her face away.
“That's because you're so cute! I couldn't resist when I see your sleeping face! We only—” Mee-tan began motioning her hands.
“Ah-hem.” Minami inturrupted the conversation with a fake cough. “You two should watch the direction this conversation is going. As the student council president, I will not allow any form of harassment to be done within school grounds.”
“Sexual harassment,” Tomomi corrected.
“Sexual harassment.” Minami repeated.
“Mee-tan, I can't help you with this. You should ask your friends, like Yukari-san, or someone. I'm already living with a friend.” Tomomi said in an apologetic tone.
“Hm. Yukari, eh? Alright, I'll go hara-I mean bother her then. Please tell that squirrel girl not to be too violent with strangers. I will be taking my leave now.” Mee-tan turned to leave, but she stopped midway before turning the door knob. “Oh, and have fun with whoever you're with now. I bet she's waiting outside.”
Tomochin frowned when she saw a weird looking woman in a trench coat walk out from the room Tomomi had just walked in. Sensing a bad vibe from the woman, Tomochin glared.
“You must be Tomo's girlfriend.” Mee-tan grinned.
“Who the hell are you?” Tomochin growled.
“Hot-headed are we?”
“Answer the question.”
“I'm Tomo's ex..”
“Tch.” Tomochin felt her eye twitch with annoyance. Mee-tan seeing Tomochin's anger, smirked wider.
“.. Roommate.” She finished.
“Huh?”
The woman's relationship with Tomomi puzzled Tomochin. The younger girl was sure she looked like an idiot just now and internally cursed.
“You're cute.”
“Go away,” Tomochin snapped back.
Tomomi reappeared seconds later after Mee-tan left, looking cheerful as always. Tomochin gave a little wave to acknowledge her presence, receiving a wave in return.
“Who's that weird woman?” Tomochin asked.
“She's my former roommate. A college student. Did she say anything weird to you?” Tomomi asked, concern in voice.
“She called me your girlfriend.” Tomochin said blankly, earning a blush from Tomomi.
“And you're not?”
“Maybe?”
“Mouuu”
“You never technically asked me out.” Tomochin reasoned.
“That was your job.” Tomomi pouted.
“What? Why is it my job? You liked me first.” Tomochin frowned.
“So?”
“What do you mean, 'so?' You liked me first so you're supposed to be the one doing the asking.” The older girl flailed. Tomomi still wears an unsatisfied look on her face, which explained to Tomochin that her reason did not go through at all. She closed her eyes and did a mental facepalm, because her friend is being very unreasonable. “What do you want me to do then?”
Tomomi remained silent, refusing to answer the question, causing Tomochin to frown even more.
“Argh! Why are you so hard to please?” Tomochin said exasperated, scratching her eyebrow. The two stood in silence, but it is mainly a signal for Tomochin to say intelligent stuff, whatever that is. “Tomo, look at me.” She said finally, taking hold of her friend's shoulders.
“....”
“I—I---” Tomochin cursed internally again for involuntarily stuttering. “I-- y-you.”
Arghhhhhhhhh! She raged inside.
Before Tomochin could finish her incoherent sentence, Tomomi closed the space between the two of them with a sweet glomp, burrowing her face into the crook of Tomochin's neck. “I love you, Tomochin,” Tomomi breathed out hotly. “I love you so much.” The warm breaths sent electricity down the older girl's spine. She squeezed the girl in her arms tighter, if that was possible, and gathered all her strength and courage (to talk properly) and whispered into Tomomi's reddening ears.
“I love you too..”
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Hahahahaha
. Oh darn, it ended up as a TomoTomo story. Believe me, I didn't plan on that happening at all, but what can I do.
Topic: oist's stuff: Season of Oranges (update: 2/4/12) (Read 10845 times)