If I Win
Based on The Mercer Sister's Your Most Prized Possession
Chapter Thirteen: New Faces, Old Faces
"I'm so tired…" Myuki complained, yawning beside a wide awake Akari.
"I told you to sleep early, since we had a big day ahead of us, but did you listen, no…" Akari scolded.
"Yeah, but I was so excited…" Myuki protested.
"I believe your exact words were: The night's still young, Akari" Akari recalled.
"Hey, the night was still young." Myuki whined.
"Yeah, 12 AM was considered young." Akari muttered under her breath.
It was finally the day of the ski trip, and they were instructed to arrive at the bus station early. Unfortunately for Myuki, she had spent the entire night at Akari's staying up late, and now, she was paying the price.
Meanwhile…
"Man, I still can't believe we managed to get tickets…" Waya said, yawning. Hikaru nodded beside him.
"Well, we did win it fair and square." Hikaru noted. Waya gave a look of disbelief.
"There was nothing fair and square about it. The box told you to only submit one application, and you forced me to fill out over 300 of those with you!" Waya whined.
"Oh come on, it was for a good cause…" Hikaru consoled.
"Yeah, say that to my hands." said Waya, holding his hands up, now loosely covered with bandages.
"Now, how am I supposed to play Go with this?" Waya said, looking disgusted.
"Suck it up, it will pass…" Hikaru consoled.
"Yeah, that's the thanks I get for being your friend, Shindo…" Waya muttered. Hikaru rolled his eyes.
"I'm so grateful to you, Yoshi-kun, my friend. Please let me prostrate myself on the floor and beg you for your forgiveness." Hikaru said sarcastically.
"Yeah, you go do that." Waya said, cheering up. Hikaru snorted.
"In your dreams, maybe. But then again, nah…think of it this way, you'll be able to spend some quality time with a certain Kyshima-san" Hikaru said, making kissy faces. Waya spluttered.
"It was just a kiss! There is nothing between us!" Waya cried. Hikaru rolled his eyes. (A/N: For details as to how Waya and Myuki kissed, please refer/read my side fic, Upside Down. Thank you.)
"Sure…That's what they all say…oh look! There they are!" Hikaru said, pointing to Myuki and Akari.
"Ohayo, Akari and Kyshima-san!" Hikaru shouted loudly. The two of them looked up, and appeared to be shocked, then, walked over.
"What are you two doing here?" Myuki asked, eyeing them critically. Hikaru gave a cheeky grin.
"Well, it just so happened that there was a raffle for two of these tickets at the supermarket, and you know me, I just couldn't give up a chance to come along. So Waya and I entered our names in, and hey, presto! What do you know, we won!" Hikaru said with much gusto. Myuki and Akari stared at them with narrowed eyes.
"Yeah…right…and if I also know you, you must have done something to win those tickets. Something…unfair." Akari commented. Waya lifted his mouth open to agree, but Hikaru stopped him.
"No, seriously, this time we didn't…" he started to say, giving them his best 'innocent' look.
"Then I wonder how Waya's hands became bandaged…hmm?" Myuki said. Hikaru and Waya looked slightly guilty. The girls rolled their eyes.
"I should have guessed…" Akari muttered under her breath.
"Well we're all here anyways, so why not enjoy the trip?" Waya cut in hastily.
"Ohayo, travelers! I am Sachikawa Chiyo, your tour guide from Azuka Travel Agency, but you can call me Chi." said a smiling raven haired girl with ivory skin.
"Ohayo, Chi!" everyone chorused. Chiyo beamed.
"Alright then, if you will please place your luggage inside the side compartments of the buses over there" she said, directing them to a white charter bus. The group hauled their things over there.
"C'mon Akari, let's go get some spiffy seats before it's too late!" Myuki cried excitedly, her morning weariness all forgotten.
Crash!
Coincidentally, at the same time Myuki wanted to board the bus, another person was attempting to board the bus. As a result, they both crashed against each other, with Myuki landing on the floor.
"Itai!…" Myuki wailed. Suddenly, a hand was offered in front of her face.
"Gomenasai, I didn't mean to crash into you." said a blonde-haired male.
"Iie, it's alright…" Myuki said, grasping the proffered hand while wincing at the pain in her arm that was a result of the collision.
"Are you sure? Because I have some ointment for that arm…" the man continued. Myuki looked at Akari helplessly.
"Go on, I'll go get our seats." she offered, and Myuki followed the man to his seat. Akari then boarded the bus, and picked out an empty seat.
"Gomenasai about that again." the man apologized profusely while rubbing the ointment on Myuki's arm.
"It's ok, I'll be fine…" Myuki said.
"So what's your name?" the man asked.
"Kyshima, Myuki. Yours?" she asked in return.
"I'm Yashiro Kiyoharu." the man introduced, and then, they proceeded to have a lengthy conversation.
Meanwhile…
As it so happened, Hikaru and Waya were sitting a couple seats in front of them, and when the man and Myuki were sitting next to each other, Waya gave a start. Hikaru yawned and looked over at Waya.
"What's the matter, Waya?" he meant to say, only except, he was so tired, it came out as "Wazzamattah Waya?"
"Myuki's with another guy!" Waya growled.
"I thought you said there was nothing between you two…" Hikaru teased. Waya reddened a bit.
"There isn't…" he denied, traling off, his point of view still intently fixed upon Myuki. Then Hikaru saw something that made him give a start: Akira had just sat down next to Akari.
How that happened…
Akari sighed in annoyance. Myuki said she'd be over as soon as possible, but it apparently seemed that it wasn't going to happen soon. She had taken interest in the guy who bumped into her, and was now, trying to flirt with him.
"Ano, excuse me, can I sit here, Fujisaki-san? …there doesn't seem to be any extra seats anywhere…" said a soft voice, scattering her thoughts. Akari looked up, it was Akira. She nodded her approval, at the same time, blushing deeply in embarrassment, the memory of the kiss, still upon her mind.
"Thanks." Akira replied quietly, as he settled in next to her quietly. Akari sighed, and looked out the window, wondering when her life would return back to normal. Akira tried to look out at the window too, and as he came closer to Akari's face, he felt chills in his back. When he whipped around, he noticed that Hikaru and Waya were sitting a couple of seats away from him. He turned back, and frowned. 'What are Shindo and Waya doing here?' he thought silently.
Meanwhile…
"Did you see that? He tried to kiss her!" Hikaru said in between a panic and a growl.
"I'm sure Touya wasn't trying to do that." Waya said mildly, his mind distracted by Myuki, whom, by this time was 'all over' her newfound companion. He could feel his vein popping as she inched closer and closer to that guy.
"I mean, of all seats, why did Touya have to pick the one next to Akari?" Hikaru rambled on.
"Mmhmm…" Waya replied, not really paying much attention to what Hikaru was saying.
"Waya" Hikaru stated.
"Hmmm?" Waya said absentmindedly, his thoughts scattered on the scene in his view.
"Waya, damnit! Have you been listening to a single word I've been saying?" Hikaru said, irritated at the mesmerized expression on his companion's face. Waya blinked.
"Huh? Oh I'm sorry Shindo, did you say something? I didn't hear you." he said dazedly. Hikaru sighed, and pointed to Akira and Akari sitting next to each other.
"So…your point…?" Waya said, shrugging.
"Don't you find anything suspicious about that?" Hikaru hissed.
"So they're sitting next to each other, big deal." Waya noted.
"It is a big deal, Waya!" Hikaru seethed.
"It's not like Akari's doing anything unfaithful to you. Don't forget who's the one who got roped into this whole mess in the first place." Waya reprimanded, reminding him of the Go incident long ago.
"How do you know she hasn't done anything unfaithful?" Hikaru countered, attempting to make a point.
Waya's eyes flew open, and smacked Hikaru on the head.
"Oooww…what the hell was that for?" Hikaru yelled. The people sitting around them turned around to the source of the voice. Hikaru and Waya both sweat-dropped.
"It's nothing, everyone. My friend was a little too excited. Now turn around and have a nice day." Waya said cheerily as the people did as they were told. Then, facing Hikaru, his facial expression took a 180 degree turn.
"Shindo Hikaru, I can't believe that I'm hearing those words come out of your mouth. Fujisaki-san is one of the most decent girls on the planet, and you have the nerve to accuse her of being unfaithful to you? Man, I don't see what she sees in you then." Waya lectured. Hikaru was silent for a moment.
"But…what am I going to do now?" Hikaru finally asked. Waya rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Geez Shindo. Do I also have to tell you how to propose to her or something. You're a man. Suck it up, you should figure something out to improve on your failing relationship with her." Waya replied.
"Fine fine…" Hikaru mumbled, shot down.
"Good, now if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do." Waya stated, and resumed staring at a certain raven-haired girl. Hikaru caught him staring at Myuki.
"Oh…I see…better things to do, eh?" Hikaru said slyly.
"I haven't the slightest idea what you're hinting at, Shindo. It was all a misunderstanding. So mind your own business and continue meditating on how to improve your relationship with Fujisaki-san." Waya said in one breath.
"Fine, be that way. I see how it is." Hikaru said, pouting a little.
Meanwhile…
Akari, was bored out of her wits. Her best friend had abandoned her for another guy, and she was stuck sitting next to Akira. While it wasn't bad, she felt guilty at the memory of accidentally kissing Akira, and having to sit next to him now, was unbearable.
Akira, on the other hand, found himself dozing off into dreamland, due to the fact that he has been having sleepless nights. His mind was occupied on a certain burgundy haired girl who just so happened to sit next to him at the moment. He felt his eyes drooping and he was soon asleep.
Akari felt a slight pressure on her shoulder, and turned towards it. She blushed at the sight of the green haired Go prodigy, leaning on her, fast asleep. She examined his gentle features and found herself becoming more and more mesmerized by the second. Her heart was beating faster than normal, and she raised a hand to her cheek, where sure enough, it was burning hot. 'What is wrong with you, Akari? This is Touya Akira you're getting all flustered over. He's your boyfriend's rival for kami's sake!' she scolded her self in her mind. But to no avail, since there really wasn't anything she could do, but sit there and gaze out the window in silence.
A couple of hours later…
"Everyone, may I have your attention please." Chiyo said over the microphone. Akari snapped out of her reverie and gave the tour guide her fullest attention.
"We will be making a stop right now in order to grab a bite to eat and relieve ourselves, so please watch your step as you climb down." Chiyo continued. Akari prodded Akira gently. He stirred for a bit.
"Just a few minutes more, Oka-san…" he mumbled. Akari prodded him a little harder, and he finally woke up. He looked at the position he was in, sleeping on Akari's shoulder, sprung apart, and blushed.
"Sorry about that, Fujisaki-san." he said meekly. Akari's blush had returned.
"It's…ok." she choked out, reddening as well.
"It's time for us to go down and get something to eat…" Akari trailed off. Akira nodded and proceeded to get off the bus. With the bustle of people, Akari soon found herself lost until she heard Hikaru's voice.
"Akari! Over here!" his loud voice boomed. Akari felt relieved as she made her way through the crowd.
"Akari, there you are!" Myuki said, once Akari had rejoined them.
"We thought you were lost…" Waya said.
"Yeah, I was so worried…" Hikaru added, in hopes of her being touched.
"Gomen…" Akari said, distractedly. Then she caught sight of someone.
"Touya-kun! Over here!" she cried out. Akira spun around and saw Akari waving at him, and proceeded to get over there.
"Would you like to join us for lunch?" Akari asked politely, while Hikaru scowled in the background, his plans, inevitably spoiled.
"Ano…" Akira started to say.
"It's ok, the more the merrier!" Waya butted in with a cheesy grin at Hikaru. Just then, another figure arrived on the scene.
"Kyshima-san?" a voice called out. Myuki turned.
"Oh! HelloYashiro-kun." she said smiling. Waya's eyes popped open.
"Yashiro-kun, long time no see." Hikaru said grinning at the blonde-haired Go player.
"Likewise, Shindo-kun. Ah, I see Touya-kun is here as well." Yashiro commented.
"Yes, hisashiburi, Yashiro-kun." Akira greeted.
"Would someone please explain to me who he is?" Akari asked.
"He's the guy who accidentally crashed into me." Myuki explained.
"And he participated in the Hokuto Cup with me and Touya." Hikaru said, beaming.
"Ohayo. My name is Yashiro Kiyoharu." Yashiro introduced.
"Ohayo, Yashiro-kun, my name is Fujisaki Akari." Akari introduced herself, and shaking his hand. Then one by one, they exchanged greetings.
"Yashiro, we meet again." Waya said gruffly, sizing up the guy, still bitter about the defeat that let to him not qualifying for the Hokuto Cup.
"Likewise, Waya-kun." Yashiro said smoothly.
"Hey, Yashiro-kun, do you have anywhere to go?" Myuki suddenly asked.
"No, why?" Wayo replied.
"Why don't you join us for lunch?" Myuki asked innocently. Waya spluttered like a fish again.
"W-What?" Waya burst out.
"C'mon, Yoshi-kun. The more the merrier." Myuki jibed. Waya proceeded to grumble something incoherent under his breath.
"Yeah, Yoshi-kun. Stop being a spoiled sport." Hikaru butted in, savoring the feel of revenge. Waya grunted, and that was considered as a 'yes' in his part.
"Well, if Kyshima-san says so, then I guess I have no choice but to accept." Yashiro replied smoothly.
"Yahoo! Then we can catch up on the good old times!" Hikaru burst out.
A/N: Again, I cannot stress my apologies upon the lack of updates in my fanfiction. I am going through a rather unstable time, and on the other hand, I am swamped with homework. Hopefully, this will decrease once spring break starts, and then I could squeeze some more updates in. Once again, thank you very much for reading and reviewing!