"Nana, wake up! Breakfast is ready!" shouted Ayako's high pitched voice as she banged her fist on my door to wake me up in a more painful way. Even though it caused my ears to bleed I just rolled onto my right side.
"Come on, Nana! Come out, you idiot!" she yelled once more sounding more and more irritated every second.
"Shut up and quit banging!" I shouted back. "If people were meant to jump out of bed in the instant they wake up, we would sleep in a toaster." I said with a quieter voice, just muttering to myself as I picked myself up from my futon grabbing some random clothes sprawled on the back of the chair that stood before my desk, exiting my room. Aya was still standing there.
"Go wash your face. You look like crap."
Geez, thanks for the lovely compliment. I just woke up...
After finishing my morning routine I found myself sitting at the family breakfast next to Aya and my father, who sat at the head of the table.
"So, are you and that boy really going on a date today?" asked my mother after a short period of comfortable silence.
"Yeah, what was his name again?" chimed in my father. He looked completely innocent but I knew he wanted to screw up my day starting it this early.
"Kikumaru Eiji." I said, picking on my food with my chopsticks.
"Eiji..." he mused. "What a common name."
As I said, this man is a sadist.
"Like Miya, Nana and Ayako weren't common names." I retorted defending Eiji. As I sneaked a sideglance at Aya, she looked pissed too - dad was speaking foul words about her idol after all - but being the little lap-dog she was, she just sat there, clenching her fists.
"These are pretty names." Said my father getting angry.
"Yeah, pretty common." I answered calmly and continued eating without another word.
Silence fell over the table again. When dad was fuming nobody dared to speak with the exception of myself, but at the moment, I had nothing to say.
"I always thought Miya would be the first to start dating." Said dad in a whiny voice. "I can't believe out of the three of you Nana will be the first one to have a boyfriend. Miya and Aya are way prettier than you."
The second compliment of the day.
Everybody stopped eating. It surprized me that mom went wide eyed and looked like she would slap dad's head off of his neck for this comment. My blood began to boil in my veins. He got nerves to say something like that. And I couldn't come up with a smartass reply!
"That poor boy. He must be some kind of an idiot."
You want me to punch you, old man?
I wanted so badly to pounce on him! I could drown him in a spoonful of water right now but I held myself back. He won't ruin this day, I won't let him.
Seeing that I was unfazed by his words and ate silently he huffed and done this too. What a great family. Atleast mom could've stood on my side. What's wrong with this family?
Kumiko's point of view
I was drowning in the mass of my math homework. Seriously, who needs this stuff? It was okay to teach us to count but all the other stuff in math was completely pointless. It was eating my brain away to study such unimportant things. Especially when I couldn't understand a word. I jumped when my cell phone started ringing.
"I have good news!" Yurie's over-excited voice resonated through the reciever. "I know where Nana-chan and Kikumaru-kun are going." she chirped happily as a big gust of air stuck in my lungs.
"They are going to a billiard club... Could it be-?" I asked dumbfounded as the sudden realization hit me.
"Yes, it could." I could hear a mischievous smile creep on her face.
"But how did you find out?" I asked getting more and more excited.
"Well, it just bugged me that I never heard Nana-chan speak about her dates. I bet this is her first one, so it's okay to be curious now, isn't it? So I phoned Oishi-kun. Even though he said he didn't knew, he sounded wierd..."
"You know he's a bad liar." I chimed in.
"He is. He said that maybe Fuji-kun will know. He even scolded me that spying is a no-no. Not that I care. So I phoned Fuji-kun and he said he was the one who suggested the Narime Billiard Club to Kikumaru-kun."
After a short period of silence between us, Yurie chimed in the phone again.
"Are you in?"
"I am."
Ayako's point of view
After breakfast and helping my mother clean the table off, I made my way upstairs to my room. In the living room, Nana was watching the news. It was rare that she woke up this early, she usually comes down after we had lunch. I guess the reason was her date with Kikumaru. No matter how I tried to analize this girl she always had something surprising about her. Why was she watching the morning news anyway? She never watched it before.
"Why are you watching this? Don't tell me it interests you." I asked sounding how I always sounded when I was talking to her; bitchy.
"Well, it doesn't. But watching this made me realize that other people around the world suffer more than me. Somehow, this makes me relieved." She sounded bored and these sentences where actually like she meant it.
And you call father a sadist. You are the Queen of Self-pity.
I sighed tiredly and made my way upstairs but as I got to Nana's door I stopped. I looked at it fighting with my own self in my mind. I wanted to see how her date goes but I was a bit afraid of the consecuences. If she would find out I spied on them she would never forgive me and I could imagine her strangling me in my sleep with a pillow. In a way, she was right. I wasn't a bold person. I never had the courage to speak up for myself against our parents or against anyone in that matter. When it came to protect myself, I was hopelessly weak.
Now who's the Queen of Self-pity?
It seemed that my own mind wanted to trick me. I looked down at the living room at my sister. She was still watching TV, her gaze never leaving the screen even if she looked like she would fall asleep any moment now. Without another thought I opened the door entering her room. I looked around. It was a mess. Clothes, school notes, books and even Ponta cans were scattered on the floor randomly. It looked like the room suffered through the damages of a tornado or a hurricane. Was she even a girl? How can she let this happen in her room?
I should be careful. It looks like an unknown kind of wierd creatures can pop up from under this junk.
I spotted her cell phone on her desk on a pile of paper tissues and notes. I took out mine from my jeans' back pocket and flipped open both searching for a certain phone number in Nana's cell.
Ikeuchi Kumiko.
I didn't know her very well but she seemed to care for Nana hundred times more than me and she seemed mischievous enough to spy on her if the oppotunity comes. As far as I know, they are going to some billiard club. Kumiko lookes like the type to even blackmail or kill for such an information as to where they are going. She will definetly know the answer so without a second thought, I saved her number in my cell.
Once I was in my room I flopped on my bed. Nana didn't even notice me as she was nowhere to be found as I exited her room. I dialed Kumiko's number and after three rings, she picked it up.
"Hello?" she asked uncertainly. She didn't know my number so I could understand.
"Ikeuchi-chan, it's me, Minase Ayako. Nana's sister." I introduced myself to her continueing before she could say another word. "I'm calling you because I wanted to ask wether if you know where my sister and Kikumaru are going?"
"You called the right person."
----------------------------------
It was nearly two o'clock as I sat in the living room flipping through the channels like every bored teenager on a Sunday afternoon. My ears perked as I heared footsteps coming down the stairs. It was Nana and I have certainly never seen her like she stood before me. Dressed like that, she looked really pretty. Like every nervous teenage girl on her first date. She looked certain about herself.
But the nerve of this girl! She isn't nervous at all!
Well, even if she always said so, she wasn't an avarage teenager.
"You are going in that skirt?" gasped my father as he came to the living room. Nana just nodded and looked at her watch.
She is nervous. I thought. And the fact that Nana wasn't making eye contact with dad made my earlier theory false. She wasn't certain about her looks.
"You are not going in that. It's too short." Now this was a surprise. Nana and even I was waiting for a statement that would only make her feel misreable. I could understand Nana. Father was always making jokes about her being ugly and even though I doubt he meant them for real they would make every girl feel uncertain. But at that moment dad introduced a new side of him what was rather protective.
"It's not short. It's longer than my uniform." Nana pointed out but dad stood his ground.
"As I said, you are not leaving the house in that skirt."
At this critical moment the doorbell rang. There was a second of silence between the two just glaring at each other than Nana finally spoke up.
"I'm leaving." She said cooly, walking past dad without glancing at him.
"When are you coming back?" he asked realizing his defeat.
"I don't know." Nana said halfway out the door that first led to the family bakery.
"Be home at seven." Dad called after her. My sister gave a nod and finally exited the room. In that second mum and Miya suddenly popped out of the kitchen and all the four of us dashed to Nana's room. It was the only one where we could see them.
"Aw, he is really handsome." I never heard my mother squeel before, this was a new experience. "He would make a cute son-in-law." All three of us stared at her. She was only fifteen years old and mother was thinking things like that.
No wonder Nana hates to be around them.
As I looked at Nana and Kikumaru, smiling at each other I got a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach. She seemed happy for once. I rarely saw her smile. All she would give us were bored and indifferent looks and as I glanced at dad, he seemed to notice this too. A little smile played on the the corner of his lips, but he suddenly froze and his whole body stiffened. As I looked back down, Nana was glaring at us. It was impossible for her to see us becouse of the coutains but she new anyway.
"I don't want to make you worry, Wataru," my mum said, addressing my father "but when was the last time she obeyed to you?"
"The real question is; is this going to be the first time?" said my father with a sweatdrop. I stood and exited the room while they were still staring out following them with their eyes untill they disappeared from their view. I took out my phone from my back pocket again searching for Kumiko's number in its phone book.
"They're off." I said once she picked it up.
"Perfect."
Nana's point of view
The walk here was fun, we managed to keep an animated conversation throughout the whole time even though Eiji seemed a bit nervous and I felt an uneasy feeling in my stomach; meaning I was too. Now knowing what was our destination I needed to notice we took the longer way here.
"Narime... Billiard... Club..." I muttered.
Narime Yurie! I'm going to kill you!
"Hm? What's wrong?" came the uncertain voice of Eiji from my side. "We can go somewhere else if you want. Actually, this was the idea of Fuji because I was a little at a loss for own ideas."
My death list is growing...
Both of us jerked our heads in the direction of a sudden gasp.
"Did you hear that? Somehow, it sounded like Momo." Said Eiji.
"It did." I said then we looked at each other. "Maybe we have paranoia bacause we met him the other day." I said as we laughed away the thought that we were being followed.
So, Narime Yurie, Fuji Syuusuke and Momoshiro Takeshi. If Yurie is in it, then Kumiko too and I highly doubt Momo and Fuji were the only ones from the tennis club.
Ayako's point of view
Inui, Fuji and Oishi covered the mouth of Momoshiro after he gave a sudden gasp.
"Are you an idiot? You nearly blew our cover." Said Ikeuchi.
"What cover?" I asked sarcastically. We were sitting under a wide window that gave a good view into the building. Otherwise, it was an open area.
"That is not something you tell a girl. Eiji-senpai sure is an idiot." Said Momoshiro, his voice louder than it should be what resulted another suffocating battle between the four of them.
"Quiet down, they're coming." Said Ikeuchi in a hushed voice taking a peak through the window. All of us joined her.
"It was a good idea to tell him the longer way so Aya-chan could come in time too." Said Narime smileing.
"I told him so they could be together longer." Said Fuji with his usual expression. "It was pure coincident that I suggested this club."
"This billiard club is run by my father. I told him to give out that table so we can have a good view." Said Narime not daring to blink.
"I am sure I can get good data out of this." Muttered Inui, opening his notebook.
"Oishi-kun, didn't you say spying is a bad idea?" asked Ikeuchi out of the blue.
"Well, I just wanted to make sure they are alright." Defended the boy but I admit it was pretty weak.
"This doesn't make it better. You actually came too." Said Momoshiro, not leaving his eyes from the window.
These people are frightening.
Dispite my undieing respect for the Seigaku tennis regulars I came to the conclusion that most of Nana's friends are complete idiots.
Nana's point of view
Yurie's father escorted the both of us to a table. I noted the wide and clear window on the nearby wall. How unbelievable these people were. Couldn't they give us some space? As I looked at Eiji, hes previous uneasiness disappeared from his form. He was completely oblivious to the fact, I was sure. Those idiots put a lot of pressure on me. How I hate them in this exact moment.
"So, shall we start?" asked Eiji as I gave a nod, smileing. "I don't know all of the rules. I just know you need to hit the balls in the holes." He confessed, looking at his cue worriedly, pouting out his lower lip.
"That's all I know too, so let's just hit the balls randomly." I said. "After all, the game isn't that important, ne?" I asked, looking up at him as I placed the balls in the triangle. To my surprise, he was blushing. I repeated my earlier sentence in my head.
It slipped out. I thought, cursing my own cheeks for heating up, aiming to hit the white ball but we heard a sudden...
"KYAAA!"
...from the window. I jerked up my head, causing the white ball to miss the other balls by far. Eiji, too, looked out the window then back at the table. I was still looking out, frustrated. If they are spying on us at least they could keep their mouths shut. Eiji's laughter pulled me back to reality. Even though he tried to stop, covering his mouth with his hands, he failed.
"What's so funny?" I asked fuming and he pointed down on the table, his shoulders shaking.
"You missed." He said finally as he regained his composure. I blushed again.
"Well, this is embaressing." I confessed as another sudden...
"KYAAA!"
...cut through the air again.
Ayako's point a view
Now I was sure. These people were a colorful bunch of happy idiots. I was just hoping Nana didn't see us as Narime couldn't contol herself from squeeling.
"What's your problem? Do you want to screw this up? First Momoshiro than now you too." Scolded Ikeuchi. We were crouching under the window not daring to take a peak, fearing my sister's wrath.
"It's just... I never saw her blush before."
"And why is this making you so happy?" I asked in a bitchy tone, the same I used when talking to Nana.
"It's just new." She replied meekly, drawing little circles in the dirt at her feet.
"The possibility of Nana knowing someone is spying on them is 95,6 percent. The same for Eiji is... impossible." Said Inui, making quick calculations in his notebook.
"95,6 percent. That is too high for comfort." Muttered Momo.
"According to earlier accidents and the fact that they are in your father's billiard club, Nana must atleast suspect Narime, Fuji and Momo here and it is in high possibility she suspects Ikeuchi too." Said Inui again.
"Wich means only you, Oishi and Aya-chan are safe." Said Narime under her breath, drawing circles with her other hand.
"We are doomed, aren't we?" asked Ikeuchi sarcastically and took a brave peak again. "Look, they seem like they're having fun."
Everybody looked in. I saw Nana laughing away as Kikumaru missed a shot, making him blush. The only irritating thing was that Inui was scribbing in his notebook right under my ears. I decided to take a look in it, but before I could see one character, he flipped it shut, making me jump a little.
"That is her first date, isn't it?" it sounded more like a stated fact than a question.
"As far as I know, it is." Said Ikeuchi her fingers on her chin.
"So my research was indeed right."
Is this guy a stalker?
"What do you mean by research?" asked Momoshiro suspiciouly, trying to sneak a peak at the notebook as Inui wrote something down. He flipped it shut again, shielding his prescious data than opened it up again on a different page.
"I digged in Nana's relationships a little."
What a monster...
"And?" everybody was crowding around him, seemingly forgetting the reason we came here. Is this a bit abnormal only for me?
"I recorded that just in her second year 47 boys asked her out. Hundred percent of them were rejected."
"WHAT?" all of us shouted in surprise, then covered our mouths. I never knew Nana was this popular among boys.
"Furthermore, if you don't count in the holidays of the school year it results as nine and a half months. So, Nana must recieved atleast one or two love confessions in that school year monthly."
Everybody went silent and I glanced in the building shocked, looking for Nana.
"Everyone, I have bad news."
They were no longer in there.
Click -->
That's all, folks.
I know, not what everybody was waiting for, but it was too long to post. The next chapter will be the second part of this... kinda.
