Destined to be - Chapter 5 In the days following Hontokoi got along with her lessons excellently. She had picked up everything quickly and was not left behind anymore. What made her want to laugh the most was Rukawa sleeping in class. She always watched with a smirk on her face from behind whenever the teachers scolded him and tried to wake him up. but they always got the worst when he was awakened. There was this teacher, Mr. Kataya, who taught them History, who always woke Rukawa up by throwing the duster at him. Hontokoi had to try her very best not to laugh out loud and usually had to shut her mouth tight with both her hands to stop from bursting out. She wondered what made Rukawa always so tired every morning. The teachers were so mad at him until they moved him to the back of the class at Hontokoi’s row which meant he sat just right behind her. Often Hontokoi could hear his regular and peaceful breathing whenever he fell asleep, making her sleepy as well. She supported her head with one hand her elbow resting on the table as she listened to Mr. Kataya’s lecture with half closed eyes. There was a long silence suddenly and Mr. Kataya paused for long moment after a sentence. Immediately Honoktoi knew something was wrong. She shifted her eyes to him and saw that he was already getting ready the duster to aim at Rukawa. Hontokoi jolted up fully alert now. She quickly dodged away from the duster that flew across her head. She turned around ready to see the outraged Rukawa but instead she saw that Rukawa, wide-awake now, had caught the duster in his hand. He was so used to Mr. Kataya’s duster-throwing until he knew when to get up to catch it. Hontokoi blinked, still staring at him wide eyed. Rukawa just threw the duster to the side and Hotokoi turned back to the front and suddenly burst out laughing. She couldn’t hold it in any longer. She quickly choked down the laughter when Mr. Kataya gave her a stern look. She cleared her throat and looked down her book. “Hontokoi,” Mr. Kataya called. “Yes, sir?” Hontokoi quickly stood up from her place. “Come to see me during break,” he ordered. “Bring the duster back to me.” “Yes, Mr. Kataya,” Hontokoi mumbled but loud enough for him to hear. She shut her eyes tightly and quickly turned around ignoring Rukawa and picked up the duster and returned it to the front. She then quickly returned to her seat and before she sat down. She spoke softly to Rukawa. “Don’t sleep anymore, Rukawa,” She whispered without looking at him. “I don’t want to pick up the duster for you all the time.” Rukawa was stunned a little that Hontokoi spoke to him. She barely even spoke to him during practice. The only players she ever talked to was the captain Hishoro and three other boys which were all very friendly towards her. One of them was in their class. The one in her class and also Rukawa’s class was Sataya. The other two were Sataya’s good friends Okazaki and Kenzaki. Sometimes he wondered whether the only way to be able to talk to her was when he became the captain. He knew that he would become the captain when he became a senior. All he had to do was work hard and be patient. During break Hontokoi went to see Mr. Kataya. Her punishment was extra homework, which wasn’t a problem for her. Yuko waited for her outside, a little worried. When Hontokoi came out the staff lounge she ran up to her. “So, what happened?” she asked. “Nothing,” Hontokoi grinned in returned. “All he gave me was extra homework and I can just finish it with a snap of my fingers.” “But you have practice today; do you think you have time?” Yuko asked. “Or have you forgotten about your practice?” “Of course not. The last thing I could forget is basketball. I will have time. Don’t worry.” “You shouldn’t laugh at Rukawa, you know,” Yuko said softly. “You made some of Rukawa’s fan really mad.” “Bother about them,” Hontokoi said laughing again making Yuko laughing along with her. “I was actually laughing at Mr. Kataya’s ‘Flying Duster’. You should've just seen their faces when Rukawa caught that duster. I mean he actually caught that duster!!!!” They were still laughing when they walked down the corridor and came up to a group of girls surrounding a very tall boy with black hair and immediately they knew that the boy was Rukawa. One of his fans spotted Hontokoi and shoved the others. “Look who’s here,” she said. “It’s rude of you, Hontokoi, to laugh at Rukawa.” Hontokoi just kept quiet and Rukawa turned slightly to look at her when he heard her name. Yuko wanted to laugh again but Hontokoi nudged her and she quickly choked down her laughter. “I wasn’t laughing at him,” Hontokoi finally said. “Why would you say that?” “If not, who were you laughing at?” Another girl said. “Rukawa was the one Mr. Kataya was aiming for.” “I was laughing at Mr. Kataya’s ‘flying duster’ that’s all,” Hontokoi said and Yuko couldn’t bear it any longer. She burst out laughing nearly making Hontokoi laugh along with her. “Besides, I’m already punished for laughing so why are you all picking on me now?” Hontokoi walked away with Yuko who was still laughing. The girls stared after them in surprise but Rukawa just looked after them without reaction shown on his face. As he looked at Hontokoi departing figure, he wondered if she would talk to him again and found himself hoping she would. “Papa, when will you and your team going to the All-Country match again?” Hontokoi asked as Coach Yatsunaga and Hontokoi jogged down the sidewalk in the morning. He had came out from the hospital weeks ago and was back on training again. “Is it soon?” It was one early Wednesday morning when the sun had not even risen yet. Hontokoi usually jogged with her father very early so after her morning exercise she still had time to rest before she went to school at nine when her classes started. “You are coming along, too?” Coach Yatsunaga asked. “Certainly, Papa!” Hontokoi said. “I always go to the All-Country matches with you. Don’t tell me you are planning to not let me go this time.” “Of course not,” He laughed. “My students would prefer you come along anyway.” “Really?” Hontokoi brightened up immediately. “That’s great.” “They tell me that you will be a great coach like your father one day, too.” “I will, Papa!” Hontokoi raised her hand in the air. “I will be the best coach ever. That is what you always wanted me to be right?” “What do you really want, Hontokoi?” Yatsunaga Couch asked suddenly looking down at her daughter. “The most important thing is what you really want not what I want you to become.” “I just want to make you happy, Papa.” Hontokoi said softly. “I’m not even sure what I want, actually.” “Well, Hontokoi, as long as you are happy, I will be too,” He said. “Now remember, it doesn’t matter what I think. You have to follow your heart. Do you hear me Hontokoi?” “Of course, Papa,” Hontokoi smiled. Yatsunaga stared at his daughter. When she smiled she looked so much like her mother. “I am following my heart. So race you back and no more tricks.” She dashed ahead leaving her father behind. At that moment when Hontokoi and Yatsunaga were racing home, Rukawa got on his racer bike and cycled down the deserted road. Just as they both ran passed him, Rukawa immediately recognized Hontokoi and Yatsunaga. He knew that he was the famous coach of Itaka University but he did not know his name so he didn’t know that they were both related. Rukawa then thought, 'maybe that was why Hontokoi was such a good coach.' He took no further thought when he reached the park. Like usual, he totally forgot all about Hontokoi when he was on the court playing basketball. During school that day, Hontokoi was so busy doing her projects that she stayed behind in class to finish them up. Yuko accompanied her and was munching away on a chocolate bar as she watched Hontokoi write hurriedly on her pad even without looking up, her half eaten lunch pushed aside. “You know you will soon get gastric if you don’t finish your lunch,” Yuko said breaking the silence in the empty class besides the two of them. “Lunch time is almost over and if you don’t finish this you might not be able to eat until much later. “How did you know I had gastric?” Hontokoi asked without even looking up. “I don’t recall telling you.” “It is because you didn’t,” Yuko rolled her eyes. “I was looking for your notes the other day and happened to found a very large bottle of gastric pills in your briefcase.” “I hadn’t been needing that for a long time,” Hontokoi answered indifferently. “I don’t even remember putting it in my bag. Must be my nanny’s work.” “I don’t care!” Yuko snatched her pad away from her. “Now eat or I won’t return this to you.” “All right!” Hontokoi laughed. “You sound so much like my nanny. Just chill it, okay?” “What is this?” Yuko suddenly pulled out a photo in between some pages of the pad. “This lady looks so much like you.” “Everyone who sees us says the same,” Hontokoi said softly. “She was my mother.” “Oh,” Yuko looked at the picture again before putting it back between the pad. “So what is she like?” “Well, I can’t remember her much,” Hontokoi said. “I was only five when she passed away. She was very kind and she loved animals. That was why she became an animal conservationist in the wild life at Africa which cost her life as well.” “What happened?” “She was killed by poachers when she tried to stopped them,” Hontokoi said her voice neutral. “I saw him... that man who killed my mother.” “I’m so sorry... ” Yuko said softly. “I had no idea...” “Hey, it is all right,” Hontokoi said with a force smile. “It was in the past and besides, it was a long time ago. I guess I barely even remember that incident that night,” she lied for that accident that happened that night was like just yesterday to her. She would never forget it and she knew it would never fade away. Somehow, both girls in the class were not aware that someone else standing outside the door, overhearing everything. Rukawa was about to enter the class when he heard Hontokoi’s conversation. He stopped himself from entering and found himself intrigued by Hontokoi’s past. He did not realize that Hontokoi had such a tragic past and found himself thinking of his father. He could still remember the day his father had left him and his mother. How could he forget that? He knew he would never forgive his father even if he came back to beg for forgiveness. Angrily he turned away from the door and went down the corridor. As always, Hontokoi’s days in school were not as smooth after the first few weeks. Especially those gangster students who would usually come to disturb her, making her life in school very miserable. It happened when she was alone during break when she was walking down the corridor. A bunch of boys came up to her and blocked her way. “Hey, tally,” One of them said, Hontokoi could recognize them they were also secondary one students like her. “Going somewhere?” “I see that is no concern of yours,” Hontokoi retorted. “Now, may I be excused?” The group of boys laughed. There were six of them and they had her surrounded. Hontokoi frowned. She knew she would not be able to get out of there if she didn’t come up with something quick. She moved to her left where she had space to walk through but the leader of the group quickly stepped in her way. So she moved back to the right and he did the same. Angrily, she stamped on his foot. “Ouch!” he yelled moving away from Hontokoi’s way. “Oops,” Hontokoi acted innocently. “Sorry, I didn’t know your foot was there.” She quickly ran off and collided into Rukawa when they both were about to enter the class through the back door. Hontokoi gave a slight nod before she quickly entered the class and went to her place with a sigh but those boys did not let her go and waited for her after school. When she came out of the class one of them snatched her bag away from her. “Hey!” Hontokoi watched him in horror as he ran away with her bag. “That’s my bag!” She ran after him and very soon caught up with him and snatched her bag back then she over took him and ran into the basketball locker room. The boys turned to her in surprise and she blushed. Nakashi had already dressed and so had the captain Hishoro. Rukawa somehow was still in his uniform but Sataya and the other two of his friends were only in their underwear quickly pulled a towel from their locker to wrap around their waist. “You came to the wrong locker room,” The captain said. “You look a little off, are you all right? Have you been running?” “I have been running yes,” Hontokoi said softly. “But I didn’t come to the wrong room. I came here to...” She suddenly heard voices outside the locker room and she knew it was them. “Eeks... please, don’t tell them I’m here!” Before Hishoro could ask her whom she was running away from, she had disappeared behind the tall shelf in the locker room. The door swung open then. Hishoro knew who those boys were and he frowned. No wonder Hontokoi ran away a little frightened, which was so unlike her. When they saw that Hontokoi wasn’t in there they left again. When they had shut the door Hishoro quickly locked the door up and went behind the shelf to look for her. Nakashi Sataya Kenzaki and Ozaki did the same too. They couldn’t find her anyway. Rukawa stood aside just watching them but in his heart he wondered as well where did she go but did not show that he was actually worried about Hontokoi’s whereabouts. After a long search finally Nakashi spotted a window at the back of the locker room and nudged Sataya. He nodded to the window and walked slowly up to it. He gave a quick shove pushing the window opened nearly making Hontokoi slipped and fell off the pipe. “Eeyaiii!” Hontokoi cried and Sataya quickly pulled her back before she fell and broke a leg or something. “Swift move,” Nakashi grinned. “Wanna be SuperGirl?” “Don’t push it, Nakashi, I’m warning you.” Hontokoi retorted and Sataya helped her in. “I didn’t have a choice, all right, and I was actually planning to climb down from the window but unfortunately for me the principal is downstairs.” Everyone ran to the window to have a look. True enough the principal stood below talking to the gardener. Everyone turned back to Hontokoi who was looking at a scratch on her leg. She looked up again at them. “Don’t worry, he didn’t see me,” Hontokoi said. “So you guys can stop looking at me like that. Now, will you all excuse me, I need to go change.” “Why don’t you change here?” Nakashi asked cheekily. “We won’t mind.” “In your dreams, Nakashi.” Hontokoi quickly walked out of the locker room avoiding eye contact with anyone. Rukawa watched her until she closed the door behind her. Then without even waiting for the others he left the locker room just in time to see Hontokoi enter her locker room just a few doors away. After practice as usual Rukawa stayed behind until really late at night. He was usually very tired when he got home. He quickly took a hot shower, changed and flopped down his bed and was about to drift off to sleep when he heard that sad melody. He sat straight up from his bed. That song sounded very familiar. He heard it before but he just couldn’t remember where or when. Then he remembered. He had heard this song before when he was at the beach a long time ago and couldn’t find who actually played it. He looked in between his curtains and his eyes widened. Just right opposite his room across the road was Hontokoi sitting on the rail of the balcony outside her room playing that song with her flute. The night wind was blowing her hair as she stared ahead at the nothingness. Rukawa blinked, not believing his eyes that Hontokoi stayed right opposite him. Slowly he lay down his bed again his eyes close slowly as he drifted off to sleep listening to Hontokoi’s sad melody. To be Continued... **Previous ** Next**