Date-O! Date-O! Arc - Middle School Years - 02by Wind Chijmes"Look what we have *here*, Sasabe. Another little squirt." Brown eyes widened in bewilderment, Dan had a rather weird thought about those faces looking like leprechauns, when a large hand fisted into his jersey and hauled him upwards. He flailed, gasping, but then his feet were off the ground and he could only dangle from that hard grip, staring into mocking eyes and hearing raucous chortling in his ears. Dan's eyes widened even further. What...was going on?! His gaze darted from his captor - a squinty-eyed fellow - then to the other two youths. One was large and ponderous-looking, and the third was a mean-looking fellow with mousy-brown hair. Dan swallowed again. His heart was starting to pound so hard he could hear the blood rushing in his ears. He opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was a squeak as he was roughly shaken. The one called Sasabe, the brown-haired one, loomed up from behind his captor. He had the half-bored, half-sneering expression of a bully who had ran out of victims. Dan swallowed fearfully. They were all so big, he wouldn't stand a chance against even *half* of Sasabe! But...but maybe they were like Akutsu-senpai, who *looked* scary but wasn't all *that* scary. That thought was dashed when he remembered that Sasabe wasn't a Yamabuki senpai. "What..." he managed through the layers of trepidation choking his throat. "What do you want?" For his efforts, Dan was shaken again then released so suddenly he crumpled to the ground, so hard he thought he could hear his bones rattling around in his body. He vaguely heard the bullies cackling at each other. "Hey, he looks like that kid with the cap, Sasabe!" Dan looked up quickly. The kid with the cap...Echizen-kun! "Who knows? And who cares anyway. Even if it's that stupid little prick, I'll just whup his ass and send him crying back to his mommy." For a moment, Dan froze. Then his body moved with an accord of its own.
Then, the brutes had shifted and he saw for just a fleeting glimpse, the unmistakable figure of Dan Taichi trapped in the middle of them. The Yamabuki freshman had looked even tinier when surrounded by the much bigger high-school teens. Oh, he had been surprised for just a second, then alarmed when he saw one of them drag Dan up by the jersey. It was especially startling to see Dan getting swung like a rag doll. Before he knew it, he had approached the court. He was near enough to hear all the raucous the bullies were making, and also close enough to hear the panic in Dan's raised voice. Then he had paused in his tracks. And he watched quietly, not making a further move. It wasn't hesitation that stayed his feet, nor fear because he had yet to face anyone or any situation that could instil true fear in him. He only knew that had it been a stranger in that predicament, he wouldn't have bothered at all. It was simply none of his business. Well, Dan wasn't a stranger. So he watched, just to see what would happen next. By this time, he had just about recognised the brown-haired one as the hapless fellow with whom he had several run-ins already. His name...Sa-something. It was also becoming pretty clear that three bullies were just extremely juvenile and immature idiots who had nothing better to do than to pick on a boy a third of their sizes. But their blustering facades sure had Dan convinced, for the little freshman looked about to burst into tears. It got worse when Dan was then flung to the ground in a move that looked painful for someone as slight as he was. Then, something interesting happened. Echizen's amber gaze took on a kind of near-surprise that looked almost unnatural, for few things surprised him. The Sa-something guy said something. Not just any something, because Echizen then saw the change in expression on Dan's pale face. It went from fear to shock, then to something that possibly even more than anger. It was pretty disturbing seeing such unlikely fury on the boy's babyish features, but then, Echizen had to keep himself from sniggering out loud when Dan suddenly stood up, headed right over to the offender - And unleashed a kick right at the shin. Ouch. Echizen had to feel for the poor guy. That must have *hurt*, from the look of sheer surprised agony on the youth's face, even though Dan was still so mad he didn't seem to have even noticed *where* his shoe-clad foot had landed. So, Echizen gave in and grinned. Nicely done, that kick. And not bad for a tiny freshman who cried so often and so easily. Not bad at all.
"We can wait till they're all lovey-dovey with each other, then we jump out and surprise them!" Grinning so hard that their teeth and eyes were all *sparkling*, Momo and Kikumaru turned to each other and flashed thumbs-up signs. "NICE!" they crowed at the same time. Walking, or jogging rather, just several steps behind those two hyperactive and totally pumped-up teens, Oishi shook his head in matronly resignation. "Ninety-five percent." Inui's deep baritone announced abruptly. Oishi was about to go 'huh', until the tall, bespectacled senior continued, his tone turning wry. "The chances of those two engaging in a conversation that starts off on two totally different tangents, and *still* reach an agreement at the end - is ninety-five percent." "True, true," Fuji piped up, agreeing pleasantly. "Inui, what about the percentage of reluctant dates showing up anyway?" The data-specialist cleared his throat. "Depending on who the 'reluctant dates' are, naturally, but *you* can safely assume a hundred-percentage for that." Fuji chuckled delicately behind a hand. "That's good to know, Inui." Times like these, Oishi wasn't sure which frayed his nerves more - the Kikumaru-Momo pair, or the Inui-Fuji team. He found an unexpected ally in Kaidoh however, who had fallen into step with him and who had also turned an interesting shade of pink during the course of the conversation between Inui and Fuji. Every other thought flew from Oishi's mind when a pair of arms suddenly looped around his neck and a wild red head bumped into his. "Nya, Oishi! We're here!" Kikumaru cackled in his delight. All of them were gathered at the foot of the long stairway that would lead to where the street tennis courts were. Kikumaru and Momo were of course, the most excited, and if not for Inui standing before them, blocking their way, they would have charged all the way up already. "Inu~i!" Kikumaru demanded as he tried to round the tall senior and failed. "Why are we STOPPING?!" Very serenely, Inui Sadaharu only pushed up his spectacles unhurriedly. "Before we continue," he announced. "I have a small request." "INUI~I!" The bespectacled boy continued blithely. "Let's take bets on who the Date is." You could hear the rest of the regulars' jaws hitting the ground.
A little voice in his mind reminded him that he was in even bigger trouble now, but he was still too pumped up to really listen to it. His fists remained curled even when a large, meaty hand clamped around his arm and dragged him up to a snarling face. The grip around his arm tightened painfully and he winced, unable to stop himself from gasping. "Why you little prick!" Another hand was raised. Dan squeezed his eyes shut for the blow. "I'll get you for - OWW!" Huh? Eyes snapping open, Dan blinked dazedly as he was suddenly released for the second time and he sank to the ground. The brute who was about to hit him was bent over, hands clutching at his head and moaning loudly. HUH? Huge brown eyes rounded in bewilderment. This time, he didn't do anything! Then, he noticed the tennis ball on the ground. "Sorry." A very familiar voice said quietly, the smirk painfully apparent in the tone, if not in the words. Dan looked up, heart leaping. His face brightened like a beacon when he saw who it was. Clad in the Seigaku regular's attire, Echizen Ryoma approached unhurriedly, his gait measured, weighted, and so self-possessed it would have drawn every gaze to him, and that *was* what happened. Dan and the three bullies were all staring at Echizen, although with differing expressions, of course. Beneath his trademark cap and rakish bangs, amber eyes narrowed just that slightly as they regarded the situation. Lips curled into a smile that might have been pleasant if not for the edge to it. Tennis racquet slung over one shoulder, Echizen began bouncing the frame casually against his shoulder. "My hand must have slipped." He continued his taunting apology. Shifty Eyes, who looked to be near-ballistic at being confronted by such a cocky kid, made a move as if to advance towards the freshman, but was stopped by a hand at his chest. It was Sasabe, and he was staring at Echizen as if he had just seen a ghost. "What's the matter?" The Seigaku freshman tilted his head in mock bewilderment. "Weren't you just talking about wanting to send me crying back to my mommy?" Dan watched frantically, not quite knowing what was going on, but wanting to know, yet not quite knowing how to know. That meanie looked like he knew Echizen! Had something bad happened between them before?! He stared dismally at Echizen, feeling even more helpless when the Seigaku freshman actually grinned back up at the other boy, seemingly totally oblivious to what the bigger boy could do to his jaw. He couldn't believe what happened next. Sasabe, and his minions in tow, *fled*.
Widened pairs of eyes stared into the canteen, each bearing an expression more horrified than the last. The fiery crimson *viscous* liquid bubbled defiantly back at them, frothing at the surface with threat of death, and each bubble popping with deliberate slowness as if sounding their death knells one...by...one. Supremo Deluxe Date-O Delight. "...no...way..." someone murmured faintly. Actually it looked like the molten lava from the pits of Juice hell. And the way Inui was leering at them, he might as well been the devil's incarnate and nobody would contest it. "Saa, Inui, why don't we get two choices instead?" From somewhere above the chorus of gagging noises, Fuji's voice rang out cheerily. "Yeah!" Kikumaru bounced back to life again, a determined gleam in his azure eyes. "TWO choices! I don't believe I can't get it right, nya!" "Hmm..." Inui pondered, and next to him, a green-looking Oishi fuku-Buchou looked ready to pull rank to get those *two* choices. "All right. Two choices each." And for a brief moment, the thoughts of the penalty Juice were forgotten as the names of the nominees were tossed among the Seigaku regulars.
Kamio didn't actually noticed that he was walking alone, until he had reached the traffic junction, turned his head to scan for onrushing vehicles, and realised quite abruptly, that he was alone. Shinji was gone. For a good five seconds, Kamio stared open-mouthed at the spot beside him where Shinji was *supposed* to be. Then he snapped out it, shock turning to alarm as he spun this way and that. No Shinji. Shit! Where was that guy?! In a righteous panic, Kamio began retracing his steps. This was no small matter - losing Shinji - because it HAD happened before! And happened all too often. His mind began throwing up all those memories of similar accidents. The most recent one of them all was the excursion. They were on this club visit to this prestigious sports academy and it was time to return to school. The whole team had checked and checked to make sure all their belongings were with them, before going back on the bus...only to realise back at school that all their belongings were there but there was no Shinji. It later turned out that while leaving, Shinji had been distracted by a particularly striking sports bag one of the academy students was wielding and had stayed behind to play a match - with the bag as the stakes. Fudoumine had taken the bus all the way back to the academy to pick up one very pleased Shinji and his new bag. It was to no small amount of relief then, when he finally spotted his friend just a few metres ahead. Kamio quickly caught up, grabbing a pale arm and tugging. "Shinji!" he said crossly when the boy turned, delicate features displaying only mild surprise to see Kamio. "What the heck do you think you're doing here?!" Deep violet eyes blinked back at him, and Kamio sighed explosively. It sure looked like it was back to telepathy again. The thing about Shinji was that he was either non-vocal or he was too vocal. Right now, he sure wasn't going to talk, so Kamio would have to read his expressions, which were surprisingly animated. "Yeah, so," Kamio said resignedly. "What is it this time?" What's the latest distraction? Those violet eyes rolled towards the direction in which he had been walking in, then back at Kamio. There. Kamio made a face. "There? But that's where we came from! The street tennis courts!" Pale-pink lips pursed. I want to go there. He opened his mouth to protest, but all that came out was a peeved "Fine! Whatever." Kamio rolled his eyes when Shinji's vague gaze visibly brightened. As they had headed back to the courts, it became clearer and clearer what exactly had snagged Shinji's attention. The voices drifting in the air, reaching their ears in loud boisterousness, definitely belonged to - Kamio could feel his eyebrows shooting up all the way to his hairline when he saw the Seigaku regulars - the same six loopy people he had crossed paths with not so long ago - squatting on the ground, faces drawn tight in grim concentration, fervent discussion rippling between them. It all looked pretty suspicious to Kamio, and he certainly *did* feel suspicious. Just imagine a bunch of guys huddled in a circle, holding onto pieces of paper, eyes darting furtively to the innocuous-looking canteen standing in the centre of group, then back at one another. As he and Shinji got nearer, he managed to catch bits and pieces of...names? Female names interspersed between snatches of dialogue!
Kamio got even more suspicious. Shinji traipsed up to them and squatted next to Momoshiro, eyes blinking curiously as he stared down at the piece of paper on which the Seigaku sophomore was furiously writing. "DONE!" The redhead, Kikumaru, announced gleefully as he straightened and stretched like a roused feline. He waved his piece of paper like it was a flag. The rest of the Seigaku guys followed suit, in their own respective quirky ways, checking what they had written on their papers, nodding in satisfaction, glancing at each other surreptitiously as if daring each other to peep at their answers, Momoshiro yowling when he suddenly found Shinji in his face, the data player called Inui taking each scrap of paper and keeping them in the small pack he carried and jotting down in his notebook at the same time. "Kamio-san?" The Vice-Captain Oishi said in surprise when he finally noticed the additional presence of Kamio. "Ibu-san?" And Shinji. Kamio shrugged uncomfortably, deciding not to say anything too much in case he provoked another outburst from these unpredictable people. But he needn't have worried. Clearly, the Seigaku regulars had other things on their minds, and Kamio remembered how uptight they were about their ichi-nen brat. At this moment, even the easily-worried Oishi had forgotten about him as they waited for Inui to finish his phone call. "...Yes, Inui here. As you might know, we have already followed Echizen to the street tennis courts where he's meeting his date. The bets have been laid. What's left is just your expert opinion on this - " The click was so loud even Kamio heard it, and Inui kept his mobile phone. "He hung up again." The data specialist said dryly. Kamio preferred not to speculate on who it was on the receiving end of Inui's harassment. Then, the data man continued speaking, his tone that of finality. "Let's go." It was disturbing to say the least. The Seigaku regulars staring up at the stairway, all sporting frowns of grim finality like the Moment of Dawning existed just at the top of *those* steps. But Kamio's interest was *very* piqued now. And when the Seigaku nuts began trooping up the steps, he followed, Shinji right behind him. This was all getting a bit surreal.
Then, all too late, he suddenly remembered why he was here at the street tennis courts in the first place! Dan Taichi! And the *letter*. Feeling cold, Echizen turned just in time to see Dan Taichi bound right up to him. He took an involuntary step backwards, but it hardly deterred the excited Yamabuki freshman. Hands curled into fists in a gesture that Echizen had recognised by now as triumph, Dan was beaming so brightly it almost hurt Echizen's eyes. It was amazing how the boy could have gone through a bout of roughing-up by the bullies and still remained so full of...energy afterward. "Echizen-kun!" Dan exclaimed in a high, silvery laugh. "You SAVED me!" Huuuuh?! That made Echizen feel like he was a white knight of sorts. It also made him want to dive into the nearest hole. "Dan," he began awkwardly, holding up his hands reflexively as if to fend off imaginary advances. "I didn't...I didn't save you." "You did! You did!" Dan protested, chocolate-brown eyes dancing in open admiration. "They could have EATEN me alive!" Echizen highly doubted that, but he didn't say so. Instead, he wondered what to say to this strange boy. He remembered the Dan Taichi that had stood up to the boys in all indignant fury and for that moment, his presence could have been twice of all the three bullies added together. Dan was...braver than what could have been expected of his tiny frame and girlish appearance, but it seemed Dan was unaware of that. His mind also, reluctantly so, recalled that Dan had retaliated on account of...well, on account of *him*. The stupid things people do! Echizen pulled his cap lower to hopefully hide the slow burn on his cheeks. "Dan," he said, not able to quite meet the earnest gaze of the other boy until the annoying blush on his face had faded. "YES?" "You saved yourself." "I...did?" Echizen had to look up at the uncertainty wobbling in Dan's words. "Yeah," he replied gruffly. "Next time, do it for *yourself*." Dan's face was blank for the time it took for the words to sink in. Then, his fluffy head tilted and he smiled, a smile perhaps a little more serious and a little more mature than any he had ever displayed before. This new smile made him look...well...more pleasant in a way. "Hai desu!" he nodded, brown eyes warm as they regarded Echizen. Then, his face scrunched up again. "BUT, I still won't let anyone say anything bad about Echizen-kun EVER!" Echizen resisted the long-suffering sigh worming its way up his throat. "I'm...so glad you came, Echizen-kun..." Amber eyes widened sharply. Echizen felt his throat going a little dry now. The letter, the *letter*. How could he keep forgetting the real purpose of this meeting?! Maybe a part of his unconscious mind just didn't want to deal with it. And he found that even his conscious mind couldn't deal with this. It was just beyond him. When he thought about things like crushes - and only when he *had* to - he was always reminded of scary people stalking him. He didn't really care if Dan was a boy, or a girl for that matter. He just...didn't know what to do with things like these! Why couldn't the whole world be just about tennis? That would make life so *much* easier! "I'm just...happy you came, Echizen-kun. That's enough for me." Echizen's mind was fast getting taxed beyond its limits. He couldn't keep up with his own confused thoughts, and certainly couldn't keep up with *Dan's* thoughts. First Dan sounded like he'd be crushed if Echizen didn't reciprocate his crush or something, but in the end, all Echizen had to do was show up and it was enough?! Echizen shook his head in bewilderment. He didn't even recoil when Dan shyly moved nearer and... Wrapped his arms around Echizen's neck like he was a teddy bear. It must have been mental over-exertion, Echizen later rationalised, because for that very confusing moment, he felt himself raising his own arms hesitantly, very, very painfully awkwardly, and laying them against the slender body at his chest.
It was really too still. And finally, one voice did break that silence. "You've got to be FREAKIN' KIDDING ME!" ~*~ fin ~*~ On to Date-O! Date-O! Arc - Middle School Years - 03 |