Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ Just a Little Love Story... ❯ Chapter Six: School Once More ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter Six: School once more

 

For Akiko, her life had become just a little brighter than usual - attending classes with her long lost twin was something that she definitely enjoyed. To greet and be greeted as she sat beside him, feeling his warmth seep into her was even better. To smile and be smiled at in return, to hug and be hugged back, to squeeze his hand and be squeezed back… She could have gone on forever, but when Yamamoto sensei came into the class, she had to stop thinking about other stuff for awhile. However, she couldn't stop herself when she thought of another reason that she was beginning to like Shohoku High - Mitsui Hisashi. She found his smile so exciting - cheeky, playful, and definitely infectious. She felt her lips go up in a smile too just by thinking about him. She remembered the way that he talked, how his voice sounded like - teasing, masculine, pleasant, deep… She liked his eyes too - twinkling and warm… And… When he gripped her wrist to stall her, she noticed that her heart had started racing … His height was nice too, just right. Above average, yet not too tall… She heard herself sigh dreamily as she remembered him inviting her to party somewhere… Where might it be…? Eighteen and sixteen - just two years difference, what could be better? Eighteen - wow! An almost fully grown Man. Man! Is this what a big Fat crush is? It wouldn't be trimming down for the moment, she giggled, nope… “Miss Saito?” - She heard vaguely in her dreams, now a little louder - “Saito!!” Who's yelling so loudly when I'm thinking about Mitsui sempai? - She thought irritably. Someone shook her arm very harshly. `Quit shaking!' she nearly shouted when she realized that it was her brother. Then, she saw Yamamoto sensei's face coming into her view… And he wasn't very happy… Uh-oh…

After being thoroughly embarrassed in front of the whole class, Yamamoto sensei just added on by ordering her to brush up on her math in a very unfair and insensitive way that she felt like crying. He ordered her to go to the library and pointed to the door and used the truth that hurt her the most - “Saito Akiko! If you are going to be daydreaming, what's the use of coming to school? Get out of my class if you're going to continue this!” with her classmates taunting her with their laughs. She only started class yesterday! What was wrong with all of them?! Taunting, laughing, and grinning evilly. She felt her knees shaking and her eyes going moister each moment, her throat was clenching… She bit her lips; it was like a horrible nightmare, but what was worse was that it wasn't a dream… At this point, her brother stood up and gave the sensei such an icy glare that the sensei's loud voice became meek, he added softly - “You may have lunch first…” She nodded and slowly gathered her school materials; just when she had finished with gathering, she felt a sharp tug on her wrist. She looked up and realized that it was her brother. “Arigato onii-chan” - she whispered to him - “but I don't want to drag you into my problems…” He didn't listen to her, and just got the both of them out of the classroom.

 

In the canteen, it was just the two of them sitting together on one bench, her brother's arm comfortingly surrounding Aki's shoulder while they chewed on their sandwiches. While her brother ate his sandwich without much ado, she chewed on hers softly, feeling the tears forming in her eyes… As she chewed, the motion of her mouth made the tears fall down and it seemed as if she were eating the tears that were soaked in the bread. She stopped and placed the hands that were holding the food on her lap. She started to cry now, feeling so humiliated and dejected. Her shoulders shook and her sobs grew louder even as she had covered her mouth with her hands. She felt her brother hold her a little tighter, and she turned her head to lean against his shoulder. Finally, after she finished crying, she felt so empty inside. She looked at her brother who in turn looked at her, but she had to laugh when he asked her - “Are you done with your sandwich?”

 

“I have to go Kae nii-chan” - Aki told him - “I still have to admit that I am pretty weak in my math.” Rukawa stared at his sister before muttering - “You don't have to do what that kuso tells you to.” Her eyes widened at his reply; he swore? Then, she giggled because the comparison was quite remarkable and extremely true. However, she told her brother what the opposite of what she thought - “You can't go compare teachers to things like that…” But she added with a smile at her brother's scowl - “Even if it's true…” The twins looked at each other, smiles creeping and crawling on their lips. “I'll take you to the library” - he told her, and took her hand in his before adding softly - “My little sister…” Once at the entrance of the library, she tried her luck again. “Will you join me in doing math?” - Aki suggested to Rukawa, cocking her head and trying her best to look cute. He sighed and shook his head, then said - “I'd rather be a slave of a pig than work on the math that the Yamamoto dude teaches.” He sighed again and told her, patting her head all the while - “Sorry kid. I just don't wanna…” Ouch! “Okay onii-chan… See you soon…” - Aki replied, shrugging her shoulders. She hoisted her backpack and waved a goodbye. She walked towards the door slowly before running back to her brother and giving him a peck on the cheek and telling him - “Despite that; you're still the greatest brother in the whole wide world!!” Quickly turning back, she advanced to the long awaited library door, leaving her brother rattled.

 

Mitsui looked towards the door, feeling bored with what he was supposed to do - listening and comprehending English. The new teacher in his class was a nuisance for him - she spoke a lot better English than the previous ones. He rested his chin in a hand and put his elbow on the table. He sighed. The rest of his classmates had been able to imitate her accent pretty well - except him. Thus here he was, stranded in the library with tapes of all sorts surrounding him and probably the others who had managed to imitate was laughing behind his back. He stared at the ceiling and thought that this new teacher must be biased because she didn't ask the person who kept stuttering to do the same thing that Mitsui was now doing, because the stutter-er was the principal's son. Listening and Comprehending English. He scratched his head - what the hell was the kid in the tape talking about? Yet, Miss Rose had told him that it was at the beginners' level. “Am I a hopeless case?” - He thought out aloud. He stared at the door again and hoped that his teacher wouldn't come; she had told him that she'd ask him questions in English to see if he had improved. “Goddamn English…” - he muttered and squeezed the walkman in his hand. “As if that would break” - he muttered to himself again. The door opened, and he saw a tall, slim girl walk in, tucking her short straight black hair behind an ear. He had a feeling that he knew her; she was someone hard to miss because no other girl in Shohoku was as tall as she was. But - he had forgotten her name. Probably ending with a `Ko', he thought, like most girl names in Shohoku. He saw her asking something to the librarian and being pointed out directions. The place that the lady pointed towards was exactly where he was seated. Is she looking for me? He thought. Or looking for a book in the `subjects' section? He saw her nod at the librarian and walk towards the section or rather signboard he was sitting under. She paused when she spotted him. She slightly turned pink before inclining her head a bit to acknowledge his presence. Then, she turned to the mathematical part of the shelves and ran her fingers through the line of books. Math? Mitsui thought. That's the freakin' easiest subject in the entire school!

 

Akiko felt extremely excited and flushed; the library was the last place she had expected to see him! She peeked at him through her lashes, and she saw that his large hands were digging into his hair. She giggled. What was making him feel that bad? Turning back to the bookcase, she found a book that she thought might aid her mathematical skills - a book on matrixes, something that was really bugging her. She prepared to sit down the furthest from Mitsui sempai, unlike what she really wanted to do; however, she was waved to come and sit beside him. She blushed and thought, does he want company from me? Once she sat down, he pulled her uniform by the elbow that Aki was also pulled towards him. He whispered to her, taking the headphones off his head - “Are you good in English?” She flushed a bit, she could see his eyes very closely; it was just a few inches away, and shining a dark brown with twinklings in it as if it were a pool of stars. Aki whispered back - “I think so.” He sighed and leaned back against his chair, before mumbling incoherently to himself - “'I think so' is not good enough. I badly need help in English.” However, Aki did understand him. She herself slouched in her chair and wondered if telling him that she had attended an American Junior High might make him think that she wouldn't be so bad after all… She turned to look at the figure that was now stretching himself in his chair. She blushed again when she saw all his muscles underneath his translucent shirt become prominent and groove-like. Wow, she breathed, wow. She gulped and changed her eyes towards his handsome face to tell him softly - “I used to attend an American Junior High.” He grinned so wide that the end of his lips seemed to disappear at his cheeks. “Cool” - He replied - “Cool!” She smiled shyly back. He moved forwards to learn on the table and said - “What say we strike a deal? You - English. Me - Math and party details.” She nodded her head - “Okay.” He scratched his head again before muttering - “But kid; I'm giving more on my part. I even added party details, so it'd be great if you can help me learn some pronunciations and accents by today.” It couldn't have been a better deal. Aki was overjoyed. She'd be able to stay near Mitsui sempai for a long time! As long as it would take to teach him what he wanted! She saw a large hand stick out in front of her face before the owner asked -“Deal?” She shook his warm hand timidly and answered -“Deal.”