"Sumimasen, does anyone know which way the principal office is?"
Atobe and almost all of the tennis club members at the court turned their respectful heads to the voice.
He smirked. 'Sweet.'
Valentine Kiss
-atobe's side-
"She's in our class," Taki said at practice the next day.
"Hmm?" Atobe turned his head responsively to the ex-regular, looking unusually amused. "When you say 'she', do you mean the girl from yesterday?" He glanced left and right, counting the number of boys reacted to his last sentence.
Ishida. Hishigi. Fujiwara. Oshitari.
Wait—Oshitari?
"Yep. Her name's , just transferred from Kyoto," Taki answered. "I heard she does shuji, and is very good at it. That's all I know."
"Shuji, eh?" Atobe smiled smugly, then turned his head to his blue-haired teammate. "Sounds interesting, Oshitari, ah~n?"
The tensai smirked. "Indeed."
Atobe's lips formed a frown. That reply was definitely was not expected from him.
Having Oshitari as a rival would be hard, even for the Atobe.
---
'I wonder why Oshitari seems really interested in that girl,' Atobe thought as he threw himself to his super-sized bed. 'She was definitely NOT his type of girl, since she wears long skirt.'
He got up and walked to the nearest mirror, looking at his own beautiful reflection on it.
'But like hell, ore-sama can't lose to him, can I?'
---
"Ohayou gozaimasu."
The girl being greeted by the unknown voice looked up. The boy in front of her seemed somewhat familiar to her, though she did not know his name. "You are...?"
"Atobe Keigo, tennis club captain," he responded with an emphasis on the last three words, hoping the girl would go "Oh! Atobe-sama from the tennis club! Sorry I didn't recognize you!" or likewise.
"Oh?" she said, looking certainly uninterested.
Okay, that was unpredicted.
"I was wondering if you happen to remember me? You asked me the way to the principal's office two days ago."
"Errr..." she looked up. "Ah! Yes! But I remember the one dragged me there was Akutagawa from my class."
Screw Jirou. "Yes, but you were actually asking me," Atobe responded, turning completely out of character by being helplessly-wanted-to-be-noticed. He blinked his eyes quickly after realizing what he had said. "Ahem. I mean, yes, Jirou was indeed the one brought you there. I'm his buchou in tennis club."
"You already said that."
Damn, this girl was tough.
"Anyway, can I help you with anything? 'Coz if not, I need to talk to Akutagawa," she said and was about to stand up when Atobe held her right arm.
"Would you like to go on a date with me?"
She blinked a few times. The members of Atobe fans club in her class—which actually meant all girls in her class—almost fainted after hearing the question.
"Would you like to go on a date with me?" he repeated after getting thirty seconds without respond from the girl.
She rolled her eyes. "I don't even know you."
Slowly, people in the classroom whispered to the persons next to them, talking in disbelief about how a new student could just turn the Atobe like that.
Atobe raised his eyebrow. 'Yes, she does not know me yet. This would take longer than I thought, but she WILL be mine.' "Then, please excuse me. I'll come again." He walked outside the classroom.
"Bein' rejected already?"
Atobe turned his head to the Kansai-accent voice. "You have no right saying that. You haven't even made a move."
"I ain't in a rush. When I target someone, I will make sure that she will be mine. It's just a matter of time."
Hyoutei's tennis club buchou only smiled challengingly to the tensai. "Do you think you can win against me? You can't even beat me in tennis."
Oshitari smirked. "Tennis and life are two different things, Atobe."
---
When Oshitari said "I ain't in a rush", Atobe thought he meant he wouldn't touch her in at least a month. But surely enough Atobe had forgotten what Oshitari usually meant by "not in a rush".
"Oshitari, what were you doing with on Sunday?"
The eye-glassed boy turned his head. "Why, we just went to eat lunch, go to the movies, and eat ice cream. Why d'you ask? Wait—more importantly, why d'you know? Don't tell me..." he adjusted his glasses. "Y'were watchin'?"
"I sent my attendant to see her. I did not expect him to say that she was with a boy, and worse, I did not expect him to say Oshitari was the one being with her all day."
"I see. So y'were spyin'."
"I sent my attendant."
"That's the same thing."
"No, it's not."
"It is," Oshitari said somewhat playfully—amused by the fact that Atobe was desperately trying to win against him—then added before the captain could say anything else, "Now why don't we start practicin' before Kantoku comes?"
Just a second after the prodigy said that, Sakaki, in his usual brownish purple suit, came. Without saying anything else, Atobe, who had been back to his confident self, snapped his fingers, a sign that commanded all members to start practicing.
---
"Ohayou gozaimasu."
"Oh. It's you again," said with lack of enthusiasm. "I've already told you last week, I—"
"No, no, no," Atobe shook his head. "I've thought about what I've said yesterday, and I realized that you were right!"
She raised an eyebrow. He surely did not look like someone who would give up so easily like that. "You did?"
"I did, I did," he nodded his head. "Then, how about a dinner tonight? We'll get to know each other, so probably you'll change your view about me. What do you think?"
rolled her eyes. She must be stupid for thinking he'd give up. "Do you never learn?"
"Why, I really think it's a nice way for us to 'know each other'—specifically, for you to know me better—like you told me."
"Go away."
---
"Ohayou goza—"
"Atobe, GET LOST."
Atobe raised an eyebrow with a mixture of surprise and pleasure, remembering that it was actually the first time in a month she had "replied" his greeting.
"I see that you're starting to pay attention to me?" he smirked as he took her right hand and was about to kiss it.
"L-LET GO OF ME!!" she shrieked, looking completely disgusted at what Atobe was about to do. She glared at him in hatred. "Why can't you be a better person—like Yuushi for example?" His ears snatched.
"Oshitari? What does this have to do with Oshitari?"
"Well," she looked left and right, realizing that her yell just got everyone's eyes on them. "He's MUCH better than you. Come to think of it, everyone else here is!"
"So," Atobe said without losing his over-confidence. "Do you hate me?"
"Yes, thank you very much for asking."
Unpredictably, his smile got wider. "You know that people say 'the more you hate a person, the more you love him', ah~n?"
She stared at him with half-moon eyes. "Unfortunately, that doesn't go for you."
"So you do like me after all."
"Shut up."
"Atobe, whatcha doin' to my ?"
The couple turned their heads to the voice (which was, obviously, Oshitari's), both surprised by the use of the possessive pronoun before her name, but she, nevertheless, walked towards him.
"You know Atobe." was all she needed to say.
"Aah." he nodded and adjusted his glasses.
"I see," Atobe said, tapping Oshitari's shoulder. "So the intruder has come. Ore-sama will come again."
He walked away from the two, leaving them staring at him with a who's-the-real-intruder looks on their faces.
---
"Only tonight, okay?"
Atobe smirked in winning. His efforts for the last three months finally paid off.
"But remember: JUST for tonight. And after it, promise me you will NEVER follow me around EVER again! Am I being clear enough?"
"Yes, yes, I understand," he said, feeling his lips curving a victorious smile. "Then, ore-sama will pick you up at seven, is that alright with you?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Don't you need my apartment's address or something?"
"Hey," he said. "Don't ever underestimate ore-sama's information circle. I've known your address for a very long time."
"Stalker," she muttered.
"Ja," he leaned forwards and whispered right beside her ear, "See you at seven."
---
"Konbanwa," Atobe said when a man who looked around forty years old opened the door. The man raised an eyebrow.
"Kaa-san, there's a guy in front of the door, a different one than last week," he yelled as he turned his head and—
WHACK! "Baka," said after hitting his back.
"Aww~ -chan~ The word 'baka' is not right to be used to your own father, you know~"
"Do you want another punch or would you prefer a kick?"
"No, thank you very much."
Seeing the scene in front of his face made Atobe's lips drew a smile. No wonder had become such a girl, her dad surely was interesting. Maybe he could go for her sister if he couldn't get her—heck, what was he thinking about? Of course he would get . After all, never had he failed getting something—or someone—that he wanted.
"Konbanwa, -san," Atobe bowed in generously polite way. "My name is Atobe Keigo, -san's friend at school." raised an eyebrow for the '-san' suffix he used to say her name. And of all words, he chose 'friend' (when he usually said 'boyfriend'—or, sometimes, 'future boyfriend') to describe his relationship with her. Why should he be acting all-polite in front of her dad? It didn't suit him, really didn't.
"Domo, domo, don't hesitate to call me just 'otou-san'," her dad tapped Atobe's shoulder friendlily. "Oh—wait, Yuushi calls me that too—but what the heck. Having two future son-in-laws is great."
''Yuushi'? He already calls Oshitari by first name? But he did say 'two son-in-laws'... That should include me. But why Oshitari too?'
"Tou-san, SHUT UP. Atobe, let's go," said in a very, very annoyed way and, as noticed by Atobe Keigo himself, a bit embarrassedly.
"Wait, did you say your name was Atobe?"
He, whose name was just mentioned, turned his head. "Yes."
"NO WONDER I thought I've heard your name somewhere... -chan LOVES to talk about you so much—well, actually, she loves more to talk about Yuushi, but you're in second place," 's dad said as he winked and gave him a thumb up.
"Atobe, don't listen to him. Let's get going to—whatever place you said earlier," she said, pulling Atobe's arms (which she had never done before, making him smiled in a very amused way), blushing sheepishly scarlet.
"Why, I take that as a compliment. And otou-san, just call me Keigo," he said as he, once again, bowed. swore she would kill Atobe someday, of course, as painful as possible.
"Why, of course, Keigo. I hope my daughter will be safe with you."
Okay, make that Atobe and her dad.
"Ja, we'll be going," Atobe said, holding 's hands, and waved to her father.
", don't worry! You can go home at anytime you want tonight!" her dad yelled, making 's face turned ten shades of red.
"Baka..." she whispered embarrassedly. "I swear, I WOULD kill him someday."
"Why do you say that?" Atobe smirked as the two went inside the elevator. "Your father is very interesting."
"You said just the exact thing as Yuushi did the first time he met my dad," uttered. "He said, 'Ain't your dad a very interesting person? I really liked him'."
"Yes, our likings about many things are very similar." 'Yes, and he even likes you, of all people.'
"Anyway, how would we go there? By bus? Taxi?"
"Who do you think ore-sama is?" he said as the two walked out the building and...
could have sworn it was the longest thing she had ever seen.
---
"Was it your first time riding a limousine?"
"Well, SORRY if I was a little too excited about that," she said, looking away with a flush on her cheeks.
"You're so cute when you blush," Atobe complimented with a smirk.
"You two are just the same—you and Yuushi," she uttered. "Anyway, tell me again why you knew I liked Italian food...?"
"Ore-sama's information are always accurate," he smiled (in a very annoying way, according to ). They were at the most-famous and most-expensive Italian restaurant at the town, and in front of them, there were all types of pasta you could order in that restaurant. , who did not want to come at first, was glad that she changed her mind.
"Well, I-I guess these are okay..." she mumbled as uninterestedly as possible, but still sounded very excited to Atobe.
"See? You should go out with ore-sama more often."
"But that would be like... Using you, wouldn't it?" she voiced as she gulped down her first bite of spaghetti bolognaise.
"Don't worry. This isn't even worth half of ore-sama's allowance for a day."
could just shake her head.
---
"Ohayou gozaimasu."
"Oh. It's you again."
Seeing that 's attitude had changed almost a hundred and eighty degrees towards him, he could not help his lips forming a victorious smile.
"So you have changed your view about me?"
She stared at him, then answered. "Well, somewhat. Not like I care"
Atobe's smile got wider at the obvious lie, then said, "Actually, I have request."
"Considering I kinda owe you for last night, maybe I'll do it," she replied. "What do you want?"
He took a seat in front of her. "Next week is Valentine's Day, so if you can—"
"I'm not going to give you chocolates or such."
He raised an eyebrow. "But I thought you said you'd do something for me in return."
"Well, something other than that. I don't even plan to give Yuushi any chocolates," she said stiffly.
"Anything is okay. You don't even have to make me a chocolate, just give me one."
"A no is a no."
---
"Ohayou gozaimasu."
"Atobe, before coming to my class, do something to your fangirls, please?"
Atobe turned his head, and indeed there were at least fifty girls (with chocolates on their hands) that had followed him there.
"Why, I don't mind. I just want my chocolate from you," he said as he leaned to the desk.
"I've already told you, I'm not giving anyone my chocolate."
"If you say it that way," he waved and walked away. "I'll come again after school in case you have changed your mind."
---
"I've got away from the fangirls, just for you," Atobe said to her after school, when was alone in her classroom, doing shuji. "Now where is my chocolate?"
"You just never give up, do you?" she uttered in a stressed voice. "You and Yuushi, both of you, stop asking a chocolate from me. I'm not giving mine to anyone this year, and that's a period."
prayed in her mind, hoping Atobe would not find a tidily-wrapped box labeled 'To Atobe Keigo' in her bag.
"C'mon, it wouldn't hurt to just give me one chocolate," he said, turning a bit desperate.
"Why don't you go to a chocolate factory or something and buy like, a truck of chocolates, than waiting for me to give you a chocolate, which will never happen anyway."
"Then would you give me something else?"
"Eh?"
's eyes widened as she felt Atobe's lips engaged to her. Slowly, she closed her eyes as he deepened his kiss. It felt really sweet. It felt great. It felt—
She pushed him away from her, startled at what they just did. As a flush crept over her cheeks, she quickly took her backpack and ran away.
---
Atobe heaved a sigh. He did not really mean to do that. After all, he wanted to win her from Oshitari fair and square. He wondered what just made him do that...
Maybe he should go to Oshitari. It wasn't like he wanted to apologize to him or anything. But maybe he should go find first. Maybe she'd hate him for what he did... He was pretty sure she would.
Atobe Keigo shook his head. it was very not like him to do something like that. He usually would think before doing something. He didn't know why, but when had said "I'm not giving my chocolate to anyone"... He was afraid. Yes, he was afraid. Atobe Keigo felt afraid, for the very first time in his life. He was afraid was lying to him, that she would give her chocolate to no one else but her precious Yuushi. He was very, very afraid of that.
And before he knew it, he was in front of Oshitari's classroom.
He opened the door a bit, just to peek whether he was inside or not.
The scene in front of him was really surprising.
Yes, Oshitari was indeed inside... With . And what was more, he saw their lips on each others, eyes closed.
He looked aside, not wanting to see it anymore.
Walking away from the two, he kicked a stone, felt tears nearly came out from his eyes.
[ owari ]
// ichigo akira 2006.02.13
Note:
Shuji: Japanese calligraphy
Valentine Kiss is Atobe's and Oshitari's singles