“EEEEEEWWWWWWWW!!!!!” shrieked a girl, stumbling backward while furiously rubbing her cheek. “OJII-I-II!! KENTAROU JUST KISSED ME!!”
“Ah?” Oji took his time pacing out of his shack, tilting his head to the side. All of the children paused in the middle of their various playground activities, wondering how Oji would deal with the situation.
Oji slowly proceeded forward, with his hands behind his back. “Ah?” he tilted his head in response to the commotion.
“GOMEN, GOMEN, I’M TRULY SORRY!!” replied Kentarou while simultaneously bowing to both the girl and the old man. “I’m sorry, -san, I couldn’t help it…it’s just that…” rubbing his foot with the other one he looked down, “…you looked really pretty today.”
A loud wave of laughter erupted from the watching children in response. “HAHA KEN-TA-ROU AND KI-IN LOVE EACH OTHER, THAT’S SO GROSS!!!!”
Flushing a deep red the girl yelled, “I DO NOT!!! Least of all HIM!!” she cried pointing at a flustered Kentarou, in which she spoke to him, “And I can’t believe you gave me cooties!!” With that, stomped out of the playground, the laughter echoing all around.
Oji, put a hand on Kentarou’s shoulder. “Ah, she’s a feisty one. But don’t worry about her, she’ll be back. In the mean time, how would you like to play tennis? I was just on my way to give Saeki, Kurobane, and Amane their newly made rackets. I’m sure I’ll have one that suits you too.”
As Kentarou was being steered by Oji away from the rest of the children he looked back at who was hiding behind the playground gate. Maybe she would like him better if he became a well known tennis player or something.
5 years later…
“6 games to 4. Aoi Kentarou, won by Rokkaku Chuu”
“ -SAN!! I WON!!!” Kentarou held jumping up and flashing the peace sign at , who was sitting in the middle of the stands.
The truth is, she had secretly come to the Chiba District Preliminaries to watch her crush Saeki play, but it was Kentarou that had spotted her. Kentarou the big mouth. Kentarou, the boy who hadn’t stopped pestering her even after she had told him to “get lost” every time he approached her.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t cute, or bad at tennis, it was mostly because of his loud mouth. I mean, why couldn’t he be more quiet and contemplative, like Saeki-senpai? thought to herself.
Cursing her luck, started to turn and walk down from the bleachers, when she found herself being lifted and plopped down, much to her surprise, by Kentarou on his knee.
“How ‘bout a victory kiss, from my GIRLFRIEND?!”
recoiled in horror, as the words reverberated in her skull. Not only had he said that loud enough for the whole court to hear, but everyone was looking at them and laughing. She could have even sworn that she saw this one student with black hair and thick framed glasses, recording the whole incident in a notebook.
“OOH KISS HIM KISS HIM!!!” yelled some of the romantic spectators.
Narrowing her eyes, pushed Kentarou’s face away, and untangled his arms from around her waist. “Ugh…Iyada…” were the only words she could manage to voice, as she half walked, half ran down the bleachers to the nearest exit. Passing the rest of the speechless Rokkaku team, muttered a quick congratulations before going out.
After disappointed cries of “Ahhh, how sad, he got dumped,” and other such comments, sympathetic spectators came up to him and offered advice, and encouragement. Kentarou listened to each intently before jumping off the bleachers and meeting the rest of the team.
“Well, I guess that didn’t work,” he said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.
“Maa, well maybe you shouldn’t put her in the spotlight like that next time.” remarked Saeki, “After all, you seem to embarrass her quite a bit in public.”
“EMBARRASS HER? SINCE WHEN?”
“…Could have been that time when you used the school PA system to profess your love for her.” Kurobane mocked.
“…Or the time you decided to give her flowers even though she had allergies.” remarked Ryou turning his cap.
Of course, Dabide was about to say something but Bane kicked him in the head before he had a chance to.
A few hours later, heard the phone rang just as she stepped out of the shower. With no one at home, quickly grabbed a towel while stumbling to the nearest phone.
“Hello? residence.”
“ ! Is that you?” asked Kurobane on the other line.
“Yeah this is . Hey Bane!! What’s up?” she asked, drying her hair with a towel.
“Hey ! The team is celebrating at the beach right now! Practically the whole school is there! Wanna come?!” replied Kurobane, on the other line.
“Eh…I think I’ll pass, I have to study for that math test you know!” stammered quickly.
“… , I know Kentarou’s loud, but he’s a fun guy to be around with, you know?”
“What?! Didn’t you see the way he embarrassed me at the stands today? In case you didn’t realize, the headmaster was there too ya know!!!”
“Oh come on, he likes you!! And deep down, you probably like him too, so do us all a favour and get together already!!”
“…Bane, do you realize what you’re saying right now?”
“Yes damn it!! Just give him a chance! You’ll see for yourself that he’s not a bad guy!!”
“But he embarrasses me so much!!” cried exasperatedly, “I can’t take it!”
“Well, maybe he’ll stop, if you just go out with him!!!” Kurobane yelled back, “Damn, I have to go, seems like one of the kids just fell and scraped his knee. Well, see you tomorrow, if you’re not going to the party.”
“Alright, bye! Oh and tell everyone I said hi and congratulations!!” replied before Kurobane hung up.
“Arghhhhhhhh Kentarou this is all your fault!!!” yelled to no one before collapsing on the family couch.
had just finished eating lunch on the rooftop with her friends when she returned to her desk. Reaching in for her school books, her hand brushed by something. Curious to see what it was, she opened the desk a crack, before shutting it with a thud, much to the annoyance of several other students.
Apparently he had given her a rose along with a note.
Well, at least he had not professed his love to her in front of the whole school, like last week. Or even worse, infiltrate the school’s PA system to do it like last month. That time it had taken a whole week for the racquet to die down, even with Amane and Bane’s ‘influence’.
Reaching in and grabbing the note, opened it.
“ ,
I’m sorry, I put you in the spot yesterday.
I know, you’re probably not going to
forgive me but please, at least let me
help make it up to you. Please meet
me outside the gate after school
Kentarou”
Closing the note, resumed her classes. She could not help but fidget nervously throughout the second half of the school day. Would Kentarou set her up again in front of the whole school? When the dreaded moment finally came, decided that it would probably be best that she go, lest he tears down the whole school looking for her. Reaching the school double doors, saw Kentarou pacing back and forth near the school gate, his head snapping up in seeing her
“ -SAN!!!” He waved out to her.
Cringing at the volume of his voice, ’s instincts avidly told her to flee but she managed to suppress that thought and approach him, albeit slowly.
“Oh you’re here!! Well come on, lets go!!!”
When she finally reached Kentarou, he gave her no chance to speak as he grabbed her wrist and started running.
“W-wait, where are you taking me?” panicked. She tried to slow him down by trying to pry his fingers off her wrist and leaning backward, but to no avail.
“YOU’LL SEE!!” he yelled, “NOW COME ON!!!”
found herself being hauled by Kentarou down through the school’s back woods. Well, since it was just after school, no one was there. In other words, the students wouldn’t be able to see them, if Kentarou had dragged her there just to embarrass her.
But apparently, he continued to drag through the forest, her uniform getting more rumpled and dirty, when he trekked over some foliage and a bush.
“Arghhhhh!! Let go!!” cried , but Kentarou continued to drag her along the forest path. After five minutes of failed struggle, finally gave up, and just went along. The farther they walked the more familiar the surroundings became.
“So you’re taking me to the beach?” retorted .
“BINGO!! There’s something I gotta show you!”
Finally when they reached the shore, Kentarou let go of her and started rummaging around for something. sighed, brushing leaves off her shirt, and dirt off her socks.
“Um, Kentarou can I go now?” mumbled. However before she could wait for an answer, she had found herself being dragged by him in his vice-like grip.
“WAIT, NOOO!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
“Showing you something!”
“Iyada! My uniform!!!”
Still struggling to pull away from him, she managed to wrench herself free and run.
“Wait, -SAN!!”
, having nowhere to run, ran straight into a pool of water on the left, hidden near the coral.
“AH !!! DON’T GO THERE, ITS DANGEROUS!!”
However unheeding his warning waded even deeper, until she felt something cool brushed against her leg.
Opening her eyes really wide, she froze on the spot. Around her feet were clustered beds of vigorous lobsters, emerging from their hiding places and scuttling around her. Whilst some merely ignored her, the more larger and aggressive ones swam straight near her.
“Its, okay -san, just don’t make any sudden moves!”
Kentarou was wading towards her right now, carefully manoeuvring himself around the sea creatures. Slowly reaching who was rather petrified and rooted to the floor, he gently placed his arms around her, lifting her over his shoulder and carrying her back to the beach.
Setting on the ground, Kentarou picked off a lobster clinging on to her skirt.
“Are you okay?” he asked with concern.
“Yeah…” mumbled putting her head in her hands, “it’s just that my instincts told me that you were gonna do something really horrible to me…like dunk my head under water.”
“Oh, so that’s why you kept struggling…”
“Ha-hai…gomen…for ruining this…trip” hugged her arms, while staring out at the ocean.
“Nah, you didn’t ruin anything. Sae-san told me that you’d try to run.”
“W…what?” ’s head snapped up.
Kentarou chuckled leaning back on the sand, “Nothing, he just said something about the ladies not liking to be embarrassed in public.”
, eager to explain something, scooted herself closer to him. “It’s not really that, Kentarou, its just that ever since that event in Ojii’s playground five years ago, I was sort of wary of you.”
Leaning back and putting her head on his shoulder whispered, “I’m sorry for not letting go a stupid incident like that.”
Surprised at the sudden move on her part, Kentarou put an arm around and replied, “And I’m sorry for infiltrating the P.A. system.” laughed and they both stood up.
“So what were you going to show me?” asked , brushing the hair from her face.
“Oh yeah!! The other day, I was here digging for clams with the tennis team!! And look what I found!!” Fishing around in his pockets, Kentarou produced an oyster shell. Upon opening it, gasped.
“Uoohhhh! That’s so pretty! And you found it here?!” poked at the small pink pearl.
“Yeah…but I don’t think there are anymore. It probably just wandered in from somewhere. BUT HERE!! YOU KEEP IT!”
widened her eyes, “No, I can’t…” but Kentarou slipped the oyster into her hand, “Think of it as a gift for yesterday!!”
closed her eyes, “Kentarou…I…thanks, for this and saving me from those lobsters! It really means a lot to me. You saved me, even though I treated you badly. If there’s anyway I could make it up to you…”
“HOW ABOUT THAT VICTORY KISS YOU OWE…?!” he immediately asked grinning.
“Ugh, Kentarou!!” laughed as she playfully shoved him into the sand. Unfortunately as she was about to help him up again, she tripped over his long legs landing into his open arms.
Knocking him into the sand, it was the impact that forced their lips to meet. However, didn’t pull away; in fact, she kind of liked that salty taste on his lips.
End
~~~
by: Jovitar
requested by: A_L_
edited: 6/24/06
Re-edited by: Kaho