17Author's note:Okay so, I finally got to post this fic which stood by for more or less two weeks because of the tech probs in the review. Dedicated to my friends who were the first ones to actually post their works here and to Icez Bluez.
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply but I do own Inari Kyoko and Hikama Kaoru.^_^
Prologue
Alienated-that's exactly how Inari kyoko, a freshman at Shohoku High School seems like a two-week familiarity stage with her new school and schoolmates still isn't enough to make her comfortable.
"Ohayo , Kyoko-chan!"a female classmate greeted from her back as she walked to her classroom. " .ohayo."she greeted back lifelessly, barely reaching her classmate's ears. Her classmate then caught up with her and walk by her side.
"You don't seem too friendly really."
"…"Kyoko did not answer at that .
"Ah. well. anyway. "Kaoru Hikama was somehow alarmed that Kyoko was offended by what she said so she dismissed the subject.
"Are you a member of any varsity team yet?Huh,Kyoko-chan?"
"I don't have plans of doing so."Kyoko answered bluntly.
"Why? Is it your schedule? "Kaoru asked as they entered the room. She put her things beside Kyoko's and she could have sworn she saw a shock of some sort in Kyoko's eyes.
"Duh? I'm your seatmate. "She said as she rolled her eyes'
"I know."
"You do not."
" won.I don't know you and I didn't ever notice that you were my giving me your name?"she said with a sigh.
"Hikama Kaoru,I'm from Tomigaoka High School."
"Pleased to meet you." Kyoko said briefly feeling as if she needs not anymore to introduce herself to her persistent and talkative seatmate.
"Pleased to meet you.*ack*"Kaoru mimicked Kyoko then stuck her tongue out as if she's going to puke at such an emotionless greeting.
"A little hand shake or at the very least, a smile would certainly be appreciated." Kaoru rolled her eyes again.
"…"
"Didn't you ever learn to smile?!"
"Huh? "Kyoko raised her head from the book she just brought out.
"Sheeesh… never mind. "Kaoru waved her hand to dismiss the subject. There was long silence between the two after that. Kyoko continued reading while raising her eyeglasses with her forefinger and her middle finger (sort of a mannerism ) once in a while while Kaoru just sat there and fixed her hazel eyes on Kyoko's blank a while, the latter noticed it and because of the feeling of being someone's center of attention, her cheeks slowly reddened.
"Stop that. Don't stare at me." Kaoru laughed. So loud, it hurted her ears.
"What?!"
"Now I know why you don't want to join any varsity tem."
"…"
"You're too shy to be in front of an audience."
"How did you know?"
"I just stared at you and you looked like a ripe tomato. You're the type of person who wants to be gobbled up by the earth on a single mistake."
"How can you be so sure?"Kyoko turned a page of the book that she was reading then raised her glasses again with her two fingers.
"Well. I've read it in a psychology book and I 'test' people if they're shy especially if I want to befriend them so that if they are, I'll have my ways of making them open up."
"It's not that. "She closed the book that she was reading and for the very first time fixed her dull, blue eyes to Kaoru's hazel ones.
"What is it then ?"Kaoru disappointedly breathed out because she was wrong about the 'psychology thing'
"Listen closely."Kyoko, more serious than ever, put down her book and continued.
".I have a congenital disorder. My aerial passages are abnormally narrow since birth and I can't breathe in as much oxygen as a normal person can. That's why I have been restricted to do any kind of intense physical activity which would make my body use more oxygen than I can take in or my brain would black out." Kyoko blurted it out in one, strong blow because she never ever want to say it again. It's her biggest frustration in life-to be as physically active as everyone else. Kaoru blinked several times disbelievingly.
"Jeez. now you tell me that. "Kyoko saw pity in Kaoru's eyes and she hated it.
"…"She gave her a 'Now what?/Why should you care?' look ,waved her hand once to cut off Kaoru's pitiful stare and started reading the book again bringing it up, right in front of her face to cover it.
"What about Phys Ed? Are you going to drop it?"
"Yeah. Sort of."
"What do you mean 'sort of'? "Kaoru pulled the book away from Kyoko to force her to face her.
"Give that back!" totally vexed, Kyoko tried to get the book back but Kaoru kept it behind her back, out of Kyoko's reach.
"Answer my question first."
Kaoru tucked a tendril of her brown hair at the back of her ear as she grinned.
"Why are you SO interested on me? I'm a dull and boring person y'know." A brow raised when Kyoko said that. Instead of answering, Kaoru smiled then stuck her tongue out. A nerve almost popped out of Kyoko's head but she immediately gained composure and sighed.
"Okay. I'm not going to participate in any Phys Ed activity but I have been given a medical training the whole week last week to be a health attendant on a varsity team."
"Which one? Which one? Which one? "The brown-haired quivered with delight and her eyes glistened as if she's a little child in front of a huge variety of ice cream, wanting to have everything she could see.
"I don't know just yet. Maybe they'll tell me this afternoon ."Kyoko grabbed the book immediately as Kaoru slowly put it out from her back.
"I'll come with you."
"Why the hell would you?"
"So I would know which varsity team you are going to work with,.of course."
"What's with the varsity team anyway?"
"It's just onee-san is the captain of the volleyball team and I want you to be in the same team.
"She always wants to brag about her sister's spectacular plays.
"I see." The raven-haired kept the book when she noticed the time and the bell is going to ring stared at her with such questioning eyes.
" now?"
"Can I eat lunch with you?"
"Sure."
"Do you like me?" Kaoru's lashes fluttered.
"Well. considering your very jolly personality, I guess I do."
"Are we friends now?" Kaoru pouted making her look so childishly cute which made Kyoko smile. even chuckle.
"What do you think?"
"I'll take that smile as a yes. And let me tell you, you have a cute smile, you should do that more often." Kaoru smiled back and that afternoon, she and her new 'cold-blooded' friend went to the Students' Affairs office.