a/n: IM SORRY I HAD TO DO THIS I THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY. i hope this makes your guys’ day and makes you laugh too
ft. gom + kagami
KISE thinks he knows everyone, and thinks that all the attention is on him. so when he sees a stranger wave at him, he’s eagerly waving back despite not knowing them, until someone from behind is calling out to them and completely disregarded him.
MIDORIMA refuses to use any elevator because oha asa says that it’s bad luck. so he uses the stairs, and goes up quickly to not slow down the people behind him but darn— he misses a step and trips. the people just go around him and continue walking up.
AOMINE likes to scroll through social media during the night. as he’s stalking kagami’s page, he accidentally likes a post from three years ago, quickly unliking it and hoping that kagami didn’t get the notif (update: he did. he did get the notif.)
MURASAKIBARA does not like spicy food, but he also does not like backing down. so when the team is doing the spicy noodles challenge and murasakibara ate it, snot drips into the noodles and he’s panting like a dog.
AKASHI gets back his tests results, knowing he aced it until he sees a 99. a 99? what could he possibly got wrong? he throws it away and blocks it out of his mind, locking it away forever.
KUROKO has vanilla milkshake stains on his clothes. that’s it.
KAGAMI who wanted to get food from maji burger but the cashier told him his card declined in front of everyone.
The female character (Tsuji Hikaru) here was made by me. Tsuji Hikaru was Shoyo’s Basketball Captain for the girls’ team. She have a cool and laid back personality. Though she has an impressive skills, she didn’t feel like to join any competition as basketball was ‘her get away’ thing from school stuffs.
I really love Fujima and realized that his fic is very rare😭 so I made this one. Hope you, readers, like it!💚
“Let’s eat something on our way home!”
“Sorry, I’m going to the court. It’s been a while since I warmed up.”
“What? You’ve retired, can’t you just do your basketball thing on the weekend?”
“Nope, sorry Maeko.”
And just like that, Tsuji Hikaru walked out of her classroom and went straight down to their indoor gym, where she planned on doing bits of exercise. The girls basketball team don’t have any practice on Wednesday and the boys team should be done practicing by 6 pm. The thoughts of having the court all for herself was thrilling.
She hummed while walking down the corridor, and still hummed when she opened the gym’s door.
“Hm? Hanagata?”
“….huh?”
“Oh, it’s you, Tsuji.” Fujima smiled towards her. “—what are you doing here? Are there any things that was left behind on the club’s locker room?”
“No, I just…. I just want to practice a bit.” She said while walking into the court. Fujima scoffed, a smile was still apparent on his face. “Still can’t get over the retirement, eh?”
Tsuji laughed while she took her basketball shoes out of her bag. She ducked and wore the shoes. The girl straightened her back, did some light warm up, and called out to Fujima. Her gestures showed as if she was asking him to handed her the ball. Fujima passed the ball. Tsuji catched it and immediately rushed her way to the hoop, making a lay up. A clean and smooth lay up. Fujima clapped his hands,
“Still not rusty, eh, Tsuji?” He said while walking towards her. “As expected from the girls’ captain.” He added while taking the ball from the court’s edge. Tsuji laughed away, “Ex-captain.” She corrected while wiping her sweats away.
“Ah, sorry. You already handed everything to… what’s her name again?”
“Karen, yes I have.”
Fujima nodded. He dashed to the court and from the three-pointer line, he made a shoot. Tsuji smiled, as expected from the respectable Fujima, she thought. You would never assumed that Fujima actually was the most competitive man in the entire basketball team, behind that calm and reserved attitude of his.
“Anyway, won’t you change your clothes? It looked uncomfortable to play in skirts.”
“I’m used to it.”
“Well, I’m not comfortable with it…” he murmured.
“…what?”
“Nope, never mind. Here, won’t you play one-on-one with me, Tsuji?” While tossing the ball towards Tsuji. She catched it and found herself walking towards free throw line. A smile brought up to her face, “You know I won’t like it if you went easy on me, right, Fujima?” She said while dribbling the ball on her spot. “I’m well aware of your pride.” He smiled as he walked towards his stuffs that was scattered on the edge of the court. He sipped his drink, took a towel and wiped his sweats, before he finally walked to the free throw line and stand before Tsuji.
Tsuji passed the ball, which Fujima catched.
“—so are you going to defend first?” Asked Fujima. Tsuji shrugged, “Yup.” He smiled and nodded. Fujima dribbled the ball, his eyes moved to examine his surrounding. He saw an opening on his left, and immediately dashed. But to his surprise, Tsuji had already steal the ball and moved outside. Before Fujima could interfere, she tossed the ball to the hoop and made it in. 3 points for Tsuji.
She catched her breath, a smirk was visible on her face. She wiped her sweats away that was dripping through her chin.
As expected from our girls team’s ace, Fujima thought. Tsuji Hikaru, a point guard just like him, been playing basketball since junior high school but never entered any competition yet. When they had a meeting last year as the new captain of their basketball team, he remembered vividly Tsuji stated that she did not want to force or put any pressure on her team. She wanted them to play out of their will. Their basketball club did not had a coach and frankly, was built out of their seniors free time. And even though their team had to made their own regime and pattern when practicing, Fujima knew that Tsuji was a better coach and captain than him.
Had their girls team entered the inter-high, he was more than confident that they would come out as the champion. Pity the girls took basketball only as an extracurricular and did not fond of joining any competition.
“Going all out straight from the beginning, eh?” Fujima chuckled while watching Tsuji took the ball. “Swift steals and high-arched three-pointer shoot. Your skills indeed are on another level.” He added while moved to the inside of the free throw line.
“Speak for yourself, Fujima.” She smiled as she catched the ball that Fujima passed to her.
They fell silent, as though it’s a battle of will now. She slowly dribbled the ball and she changed her pace before she dashed towards the hoop. But Fujima wouldn’t let her passed him. He defended with all his might, with a hand up in the air and another stretched out, to widen his area. She took a deep breath, before she took a step back and jumped. Fujima gasped as his eyes focused on the ball, and it landed safely on the hoop.
“Another two for Tsuji.” She smiled.
“Did you seriously just….. wait, fadeaway!? Did Hanagata taught you that?”
Tsuji chuckled as she walked to took the ball that was left on the court’s edge. She looked at her watch, it’s already fifteen to eight, huh?
“How about another round and then we call it a night?”
“As you please.” Said Fujima as he gestured towards Tsuji to pass him the ball.
They were back on their feet, staring at each other and trying to figure out what kind of move that each of them had up on their sleeves. Fujima dribbled the ball slowly while he walked to the right side. As he dashed, he quickly changed his path and moved further to the hoop. Tsuji tried to catched up with him. He jumped, as well as Tsuji. But he kept getting higher and made a dunk as a finale. Tsuji fell to her butt and grunted.
“Ouch.”
“Here, let me help.” Said Fujima while he offered Tsuji his hand. Tsuji pouted and get back on her feet alone. “No need.” She said. Fujima let a slight laugh out, “—are you upset?” He asked. Tsuji walked away from Fujima. She took her bag.
“Hey, are you going already?”
“I’ve told you, it’s the last round.”
Fujima smiled, he ran towards Tsuji and grab her shoulder. “Wait here, I’ll change my clothes for a second.”
She furrowed her eyebrows, but comply nonetheless. Fujima then walked out from their locker room wearing his uniform—a green suit-like outer and white shirt inside it, with a grey pants. He smiled towards Tsuji, “Sorry, I could’ve gone out sooner but I need to took some things out of my locker first.”
“It’s alright.”
“Are you still upset?”
Tsuji’s face tinted red. She looked away as she began to walk. Fujima followed her, he laughed away, “I’m sorry.” He said. “I thought you’d hated it if I went easy on you?”
“But that dunk was unnecessary!”
“You win, anyway.” He shrugged.
“Yeah well, my butt hurts.”
Fujima’s laughter could be heard throughout the corridor. He knew Tsuji hates losing, but he never knew that she would looked like this when she’s sulking. It’s kinda cute, he thought to himself.
“Why don’t I treat you to something nice? Cheesecake and a tea, maybe?” He said while stuffing both of his hands inside his pants’ pockets. Tsuji looked at Fujima, her eyes glittered with excitement. She loves cheesecake!
“—alright, then.”
***
“You knew this place?” Asked Tsuji while scooping her last bit of cheesecake.
“Sort of, yeah.”
“Have you come here before? It’s not well known but I came here often.”
Fujima smiled as he sipped his tea. He actually knew that Tsuji was a regular here because he overheard it when Tsuji was talking with her fellow teammates. From an outsider point of view, Tsuji was a very well mannered captain and she clearly loves her teammates. She never scolded any of them or even raised her voice. Their girls team often went on a vacation together or simply hanging out on weekends. It’s interesting to see her kind of leadership. Rather than a team, they looked more like a sisterhood. They even called Tsuji with such cute nickname, Hikacchu.
“Anyway, why did you retire early?”
“It’s nothing personal, actually. I just feel like it’s the perfect time to hand out the baton to the next captain. And I’m not going anywhere, I still come when I had some time to spare.” Tsuji said while passing her gaze to the window, looking at people who pass by the cafe. “—and why haven’t you retired? I heard you guys would join the winter invitational too?” She added.
“I just want to enjoy this as much as I can before going to college. I don’t want to have any regrets.”
Tsuji hummed. She sipped her iced honey tea. She admired Fujima’s persistence and tenacity. She could never be like him, she thought. His leadership was on whole other level, even their teachers admitted it. More over, he always came top on his class and year. Sometimes she wonder how could he keep it altogether?
“You should’ve come to practice more often, Tsuji. It’s just not the same to see the girls team without you.” Fujima said while smiled at Tsuji. “I used to looked at you and how you put yourself around your friends. I adore you.” He added. She choked on that part. Tsuji coughed while Fujima got flustered. He handed her a napkin. A small thank you was said by Tsuji. She looked at him, her face tinted red. To her surprise, Fujima’s face was also covered in a slight red. A thin smile could be seen on his face.
Wait, what….?
“Yo—y…. what….?” She stammered.
“I mean…. We’ve known each other since our first year at school. And even when we became captain, we sometimes spent time together. It felt different when suddenly you’re not there.” Fujima said while scratched his head.
“—yeah but mostly we talked about our club and regimes so, really, there’s nothing much to talk about now, is it?”
“Nevertheless, I want more time with you.”
Is this serious, she thought to herself. The look on Fujima’s face clearly stated so. This is not a joke. She never expected this kind of attitude, especially when we’re talking about Fujima. The Fujima Kenji. The calm and reserved, cool headed, stern but soft-spoken, Fujima Kenji.
She glued both of her hands together, her eyes was focused on her shoes. She couldn’t bear to see Fujima.
“…Tsuji.” He said softly, his hand held Tsuji’s. She looked at Fujima, aghast.
Frankly, he’d been keeping an eye on Tsuji since day one. With her cool and laidback personality, it’s something that he’d never seen in a girl before. He was attracted to her before he knew it.
“Our club is not the only thing that we talked about. Don’t you remember how many times have we spent our after-club on the gym? On the locker room while watching movies after examining practice videos?”
“—we studied together, with others too. We ate together, we went to amusement park together with our teammates.”
“I still want more time with you.” He repeated what he had said, a smile was still apparent on his face. His cheeks bright red.
Hell with that smile, Tsuji cussing internally.
No guy had ever asked her out before. Or told her how they felt about her. She always thought that she was a wallflower, but she was entirely okay with it. All Tsuji wanted was to live peacefully and freely, without any doubts and boundaries. But this guy? He had always been nice towards her since the very first time they met. She remembered back then, she was nearly Fujima’s height. But now her height was as high as his chin. She liked the way Fujima treated her. He never looked down on her and he respected her for what she was, what her choices was, and her vision for her team was. She never told anyone but she actually likes Fujima. And she’s good at covering it up.
And that guy adored her?
“I’m… I—”
“—think, I’d like more time with you too.” Tsuji said while helding Fujima’s hand tightly. A shy smile was seen on her face. Fujima laughed a bit, he couldn’t held back his smile.
Februari, tanggal 12. Annabelle berjalan di belakang Luella dengan wajah yang berkerut. Hari ini seharusnya ia bisa menyelesaikan bukunya. Namun sahabatnya yang satu ini memaksa Annabelle untuk menemaninya pergi ke Hogsmeade, membeli cokelat yang akan diberikan kepada Oakes. Padahal ini tidak ada sangkut pautnya denganku, batin Annabelle. Gadis itu pun menggerutu, “Kau berhutang satu butterbeer dan kue, Lu.” Ucapnya kesal. Wajah pucatnya dipenuhi rona merah karena musim dingin yang seolah tidak ingin pergi. Luella tertawa pelan, “Tenang saja.” Jawabnya seraya mendorong pintu Honeydukes.
Bulir cokelat Luella menatap dengan serius berbagai macam cokelat yang dipajang. Sesekali jemarinya mengangkat sebuah kotak, lalu diletakkan kembali. Hal ini dilakukan beberapa kali hingga akhirnya Annabelle mendekati Luella dan berkata,
“Kau mau memberikan cokelat yang seperti apa?”
“Hmm….” Luella melempar pandangannya ke arah lain. “—Wylie tidak suka kacang….” Gumamnya pelan. Annabelle bergumam kecil. Bulir merahnya menatap salah satu kudapan cokelat yang dilapisi plastik hitam. Dark chocolate, tulisan yang tertera di bawah rak itu. Jemarinya mengangkat salah satu kotak yang dilapisi kertas hitam legam tersebut. Untuk beberapa saat, perhatian Annabelle ditujukan kepada kotak itu.
Annabelle mengangkat kedua bahunya,
“Bagaimana dengan cokelat yang agak pahit? Misalnya yang ada rasa kopi. Atau mint?” Ucapnya seraya menunjuk ke arah salah satu rak. Luella tersenyum tipis, “Oh! Wylie suka kopi.” sahutnya. Luella meraih dua buah kotak, lalu menyodorkannya kepada Annabelle.
“Kemasan yang mana yang menurutmu paling bagus, Anne?”
“……ini?” Annabelle menunjuk salah satu kotak berwarna kuning dan berpita hitam. “Cocok dengan asrama Oakes.” Kekehnya pelan. Luella tertawa, “Oke.”
Gadis itu pun melangkah menuju kasir, namun tiba-tiba Luella menoleh kepada Annabelle,
“Bukannya kau kemarin sudah berbaikan dengan Viper?” Luella tersenyum jahil. “—dan kau sama sekali tidak menceritakan apa-apa. ’s okay, Vargas. Take your time.” Gadis itu kemudian terkekeh.
“Aku bahkan tidak tahu kau membicarakan apa.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Gadis itu pun berlalu dan melanjutkan langkahnya ke kasir. Sedangkan Annabelle masih terdiam di tempatnya, berfikir apa yang dimaksud oleh Luella.
***
Wajah Luella terlihat sumringah. Sejak makan siang tadi, gadis itu tidak kuasa menyembunyikan senyumnya. Hal ini membuat Annabelle sedikit bergidik karena ia tidak pernah melihat seorang Luella Lancaster seperti itu.
“Wylie menyukainya! Juga topi yang aku rajut.” Ucapnya senang seraya merapihkan rambutnya. Annabelle bergumam pelan, “Baguslah.” Ucapnya singkat. Ia mengalihkan perhatiannya kepada kotak hitam kecil yang berada di meja di samping tempat tidurnya. Bulir merahnya dialihkan kepada salah satu tas yang diletakkan di atas kasurnya.
“….come on, Vargas. Don’t chicken out.” Geram Luella.
“Okay, okay. Geez.” Annabelle menggerutu. Ia menarik tas berwarna biru muda yang berada di hadapannya tersebut. Kotak hitam kecil yang berada di meja ia kemudian masukkan ke dalam tas tersebut. Annabelle pun melangkah keluar dari kamar asramanya. Ia menghela nafas, ini adalah hal yang bodoh, batinnya.
***
“Viper, kau dipanggil ke common room.” Ucap Chamberlaine seraya memasuki kamar asrama laki-laki Slytherin. Bulir zamrud Aeolia Viper melirik ke arah Chamberlaine, keningnya berkerut. Ia mendudukkan tubuhnya, “….siapa yang memanggilku?” Aeolia bertanya seraya menyelipkan kakinya ke dalam sendal hitamnya. Ia berjalan ke arah pintu dan sesaat sebelum ia keluar, Chamberlaine menjawab, “—leander.”
***
“—is this our thing now? To meet at the common room?” Ucapnya seraya tertawa pelan. Ia melangkah mendekati Annabelle Vargas yang sedang berdiri, menyandarkan dirinya pada sofa hitam legam yang terletak tepat di Tengah ruangan. Wajah gadis itu tampak kesal. Tanpa berkata apa-apa, Annabelle menyerahkan tas berwarna biru muda yang digenggamnya kepada Aeolia. Viper muda itu menatap Annabelle kebingungan. Jemarinya mengambil tas itu, bulir zamrudnya menatap isi dari tas tersebut.
“What are these, Vargas…..?”
“Untukmu.” Jawab Annabelle singkat. Aeolia meraih sebuah syal berwarna hitam dengan ukiran inisial namanya di ujung. Sebuah jam saku berwarna silver dengan sentuhan hijau di pinggirnya menarik perhatian Viper muda tersebut. Sebuah kotak hitam kecil juga terlihat, terselip di antara lipatan syal. Ia kemudian menatap Annabelle, satu alisnya dinaikkan.
“Syal itu… Luella memaksaku untuk belajar merajut dengannya. Lalu… begitulah.” Ucapnya seraya mengalihkan perhatiannya ke ujung ruangan. “—jam saku itu diberikan oleh ayahku. Hadiah untuk ulang tahunmu.”
“….dan ada satu kotak cokelat.” tambahnya. Bulir merahnya melirik zamrud milik Aeolia Viper. “Untuk valentine.”
Rona merah tampak di wajah Aeolia Viper. Senyum tipis terlihat di wajah pemuda tersebut. Jemarinya meraih ke dalam tas dan mengeluarkan sebuah kotak hitam. “Tidak ada amortentia di dalamnya kan?” Ucapnya yang diikuti dengan kekehan pelan. Annabelle merasa tercekat dengan pertanyaan tadi. Wajah Annabelle terasa panas, rona merah terlihat semakin nyata di wajahnya. Jelas gadis itu kesal. Aeolia tertawa, ia meraih tangan kanan gadis tersebut dan memeluknya.
“Danke.” ucapnya. Sebuah senyum tipis tampak di wajah Annabelle. Jemarinya balik memeluk Viper muda tersebut. Ia mengelus surai hitam legam Aeolia Viper. Pemuda itu semakin mengeratkan dekapannya. “—stay, please.” bisiknya. “I like me better when I’m with you.” tambahnya. Annabelle mendengus pelan, ia memberi jarak di antara mereka. Kedua tanganya memegang pipi Aeolia Viper. Sebuah senyum tipis dilemparkan kepada Aeolia. Ia tidak tahu harus berkata apa, sejujurnya.
Aeolia merasa nafasnya terhenti untuk sesaat. Ia tidak pernah melihat Annabelle Vargas tersenyum seperti ini. Rona merah semakin mewarnai wajah pucat Viper muda tersebut. Ia tidak pernah tersipu malu seperti ini sebelumnya.
“Ti amo, you fucking jerk.” Gadis itu berbisik. Annabelle kemudian mengecup pelan bibir Aeolia, sebuah gestur yang tidak pernah terfikirkan akan dilakukan olehnya. Namun hari itu, Annabelle memutuskan untuk menyerah dan menerima bahwa sialnya, selama ini, ia masih menyimpan rasa terhadap Aeolia. Viper muda tersebut terkekeh pelan. Ia kembali menarik Annabelle ke dalam pelukannya.
“Mein liebe.” Ucapnya di sela tawa. “Happy valentine.” Tambahnya seraya mengecup puncak kepala Annabelle.
The female character (Takeuchi Sora) here was made by me. A little description, Takeuchi Sora was Mitsui Hisashi’s friend since elementary school. Sora’s dad, Takeuchi Hiroshi, was their PE teacher back then and he was the one who encourage Mitsui to pursue basketball
I made this out of my everlasting love for Mitsui and I am pleased to wrote this fanfiction💙
“Dad I’m going to kombini for a bit, you want something?”
“At this hour? Want me to accompany you?”
“Nope, I’ll be alright. You want something?”
“Marlboro red and a diet coke. Thanks, sport.”
“Really, old man? I’m a minor.” She sighed in the sight of her laughing father. He handed her a thousand yen, “—only diet coke, then.”, she nodded and walked to her front door. She wore her sky-blue slipper before she went out.
——————
“Thank you!” Shouted the cashier as she walked out from kombini. Sora opened her canned carbonated tea. As she sipped it, her eyes moved to a small court where a noise came. Did someone played basketball? At half past eleven at night? Her eyebrows furrowed while she walked towards the court. To her surprise, she saw a tall figure moving swiftly around the court. His hands elegantly dribble the orange basketball. He then jumped and made a three-pointer shoot.
What a form, she thought.
Sora approached the tall, well-built figure. A smile was seen on her face, before she called out to him.
“Hisashi!”
The man turned his head towards Sora. He looked flustered.
“Sora? The fuck are you doin’ at this hour?” He said while catching his breath. Sora raised her white plastic bag. “—buying some snacks. And what about you? Playing basketball at this hour.”
“Aah…” Mitsui Hisashi smiled. He picked up the ball and tossed it to Sora. “….to repay the times that went away, I guess?”
Sora laughed. “You mean, those times where you went around being a delinquent with that frivolous long hair?” And she threw the ball again to Hisashi.
“Shut up, Sora!” Hisashi shouted, his face became red. He reminisced those days where he completely forgotten basketball, where he thought basketball had casted him away. He scoffed “Is it okay, anyway, for a small girl like you to walk around the neighbourhood by herself at this hour? Have you told your pops?”
Sora sat herself on a nearby bench, where Hisashi put his bag and clothes away. She sipped her drink up, “I’m flattered that you’re worried about me, but I’m already 17 years old. And how dare you to call me small!? I’m particularly tall for a girl. Asshole.” She said.
Hisashi scoffed again, he throw the basketball to the ring. He, then, walked towards Sora. His hand took Sora’s carbonated tea and sipped it. “Ekh.” He grunted. “Why are you drinking this shit?”
“Why? I like the taste.”
“It’s darn weird.”
“You’re a darn kiddo.”
Hisashi laughed. He took a small towel and began to wipe his sweats away. Sora looked at some bruises and scars on Hisashi’s face. “….those bruises haven’t healed completely, eh?”
“Yeah… and it still stings.”
“That’s what you get for being an asshole, trying to break our basketball team apart. And it’s not even enough.”
“…..yeah. I need to be on my toes, to bring trophies and win the national championship.” Hisashi said, being serious and all. Sora flustered, she never really saw this kind of repentance from Hisashi. She snatched her drink and sipped it. It was quiet before Hisashi finally opened his mouth again. “How’s your pops, anyway? Has his conditions improved?” While he looked at Sora. She smiled, “—yeah. His graft operation was well performed and been out from the hospital for several days. He always asked about you, though, and told me to convince you to play basketball again.”
“……” Hisashi fell silent. He remembered those times where he was still in hospital, recovering from that damned injury. Coach Takeuchi always visited him and brought him foods and magazines. He was his PE teacher in elementary school and the very first person who encouraged him to play basketball. And Sora, Coach Takeuchi’s daughter, has been his friend since.
“It’s been sometimes since you visited, why haven’t you?” Asked Sora. Hisashi wore his uniform. He took the basketball and put it on a white nike bag. He wore it around his shoulder. He took his bag and sighed. Why, exactly…. He thought to himself. Maybe, he was too scared because he had failed Coach Takeuchi’s faith in him. Maybe, he was ashamed of himself. Maybe, he doesn’t want to saw Coach Takeuchi’s sad face when he saw what he became after he injured himself.
Sora stood up and sniffed Hisashi’s wide back,
“What!?”
“…you didn’t reek of cigarettes nor alcohol. Have you stopped drinking and smoking?”
“The fuck, Sora.” He hissed. Sora smiled. “It’s good, then. Those habits will wore you down especially as an athlete.” Hisashi’s face became red. He looked away as he put his blue bag on his shoulder. He put his hands on his pant’s pockets. He stole a glance towards Sora and found the girl was staring at him.
“What do you want? It’s gross, to look at someone like that.” Hisashi said. Sora sighed, “I wonder why do I put up with you after all this time….” And then she laughed away. “Your grumpy ass is even worse after you became a delinquent.” She said.
“….shut up.” He said, “—it’s getting late, I’ll walk you home.” To this, Sora intertwined her arm with Hisashi’s. It’s been a while since they went out together, and frankly, Sora had been missing him. She always visited him at the hospital, and even when he was discharged, Sora had been the one who gave him all materials that had been taught at school. She wondered why does she care about this man so much? Maybe it’s charity thing, maybe it’s because she had seen the darkest side of Hisashi, maybe she just want him to know that he’s not in this alone.
“W—what the fuck are you doing!?” Hisashi flustered, his face tinted red. Sora giggled, “It’s been a while since I make a fool out of you.” She took a step back, “Still not good with girls, huh?”
“It’s none of your business.” He pouted as he walked aside Sora.
“You’ve such great fame among girls before you became that frivolous freak. Pity you only have basketball on your head then and now.” Sora laughed as she sipped her last bit of carbonated tea. She threw the empty can to a nearby bin. Hisashi scoffed, “You’re not better than me.”
Sora laughed as they walked along the way home. Hisashi didn’t say anything, so did Sora. They fell silent until finally Sora stopped. Her eyes fixed to a pharmacy nearby. She then run to the pharmacy, left Hisashi shouted her name and bewildered. Took several minutes for Sora to finally come out with another plastic bag,
“You sick or something?” Asked Hisashi while Sora handed him the plastic bag. “Nope. I bought you some plaster to cover up those bruises and a painkiller too.”
“You don’t have to. It’s not a weird thing, anyway, to show up with some bruises and scars.”
Sora forcedly opened Hisashi’s bag and put the plastic inside it. “—just use it, geez.” She hissed. Hisashi looked away, he scratched his head and nodded.
“So, are you going to join the team?”
“Yeah. I have talked to Coach Anzai and Akagi about it.”
Sora smiled ear to ear. She was so happy to hear it and glad that no one hold their grudges. With the summer competition right in front of their eyes, she was confident enough that this year might be the year for their basketball team.
“I’m going to join the tennis competition too, you know. Will you come and watch?”
“Not gonna promise you anything, but I’ll try.”
“Hey! I watched every one of your game back in junior high school, even when I need to run the hell out of me to the arena.” She pulled Hisashi’s bag. Hisashi turned his head, his eyes glared at Sora. “That was uncalled for, damn you Sora!” He hissed. “—I’ll try to come. And anyway, you sucks.”
She gave him a good kick, Hisashi fell to his knees.
“What the fuck, woman!? Can’t you just walk and be quiet?”
“If I get to the nationals, what’d you do?” Sora smirked at Hisashi. The man looked away, “…I’ll congratulate you, then.”
“Buy me new gear!” She said while intercepted Hisashi, which stopped him. “Ah, I just remembered I need new shoes…..” He murmured.
“—Sora, this Sunday I’m going to buy new shoes. Do you want to come?”
“Okay. After that, let’s eat dinner at my house. I’ll let my dad know. I’m sure he’d be super happy if he knew that you began to play basketball again.” Sora smiled. That smile of her, just like a cascade, brought smile to Hisashi’s face. He nodded,
“Alright, I’m going to pick you up at one, noon. Don’t overslept.”
“Alright.”
They spent the rest of their nights by talking, mostly bickering, about everything. About what had lost these past two years. But despite the fact that they mostly bicker around, they enjoy each other’s company. And nothing like best friend who understands and accepts you for what you are.
Instead of calling me out you should be pulling me in,
‘I’ve just got one more thing to say’
—The 1975 (Sincerity is Scary)—
Albertine melangkah menyusuri jalanan Paris yang lembab karena hujan beberapa jam silam. Gadis itu mendecak kesal. Liburan musim panasnya harus terganggu karena sebuah janji yang, sejujurnya, tidak pernah ingin ia buat. Semalam tiba-tiba saja Rigg datang ke rumahnya, berkata bahwa ia akan menetap di Paris selama dua minggu ke depan atas permintaan sepupunya yang seorang fotografer lepas. Karena Oleander yang satu itu tahu Albertine tidak memiliki rencana apa-apa, ia menyuruhnya untuk ikut sesi pemotretan. Street style, katanya. Hah, Albertine mendengus pelan.
Tentu saja Albertine menolak. Namun kegigihan Oleander muda yang meminta dan terus menyuruhnya untuk pergi patut diacungi jempol. Akhirnya pada pukul 3 pagi, saat Albertine terlelap, Pemuda itu diam-diam menyusup dan membangunkannya. “Ayo pergi, akan aku belikan makanan nanti.” ucapnya. Dan di antara fase tidur-bangunnya, Albertine pun mengiyakan.
“Oleander sialan…” geramnya. Seharusnya ia menunggu Albertine. Namun dengan alasan sudah janji terlebih dahulu dengan sepupunya, ia pergi dua jam lebih awal.
Tas kulit berwarna cokelatnya ia genggam erat. Bulir indigonya mencari hingga akhirnya ia melihat Rigg Oleander berada di tepi jalan, menatap ke arah kamera. Keningnya berkerut, ia tidak pernah melihat Rigg yang seperti itu. Ketika ia melangkah mendekati Rigg dan Sylvia, pemuda itu melempar sebuah senyum lebar. “Tunggu, aku sebentar lagi selesai.” Ucapnya riang, seolah tidak menyadari air wajah Albertine yang kesal. Ia menatap seksama sosok Rigg Oleander. Pilihan warna yang ceria, eh? Apakah karena bertema musim panas?
Leblanc bungsu itu tenggelam di dalam pikirannya sendiri, hingga akhirnya suara kamera mengalihkan perhatiannya. Bidikan kamera tengah diarahkan kepadanya. “Hah?” Gumamnya pelan. Sylvia tersenyum, “Rupanya tunanganmu bisa menjadi modelku juga, Rigg.” Ucapnya yang diikuti tawa. Rigg tersenyum dan berjalan mendekati Albertine, ia merangkul gadis itu. “Tentu. She’s a rough diamond.” Timpal Rigg. Albertine menyikut Oleander muda itu,
“Kau sudah bosan hidup sepertinya.” Albertine berjalan beberapa langkah menjauhi Rigg. Ia menghela nafas panjang, bulir indigonya kembali menatap Sylvia. Apa mereka sekeluarga memang bersifat unik seperti ini, pikirnya dalam hati.
“Your date has come, so I’m gonna go. Nanti akan kukabari lagi kalau aku butuh bantuanmu, Rigg. Dan ajak Albertine juga, ya!” Sylvia merangkul erat sepupunya. Gadis itu pun beralih kepada Albertine dan merangkulnya. “—nanti aku juga akan jadi fotografer di acara kalian.” Kekehnya pelan yang disusul oleh wajah Albertine yang memerah. Rigg tertawa dan melambaikan tangannya kepada sosok Sylvia yang semakin jauh dan membaur dengan kerumunan di kota Paris.
Jemari Rigg meraih tangan Albertine. Senyum tipis tampak di wajah Oleander muda itu, “Nah, kau mau kemana sekarang? Aku sudah berjanji akan membelikan makanan, kan.” ucapnya. Albertine mengangkat kedua bahunya, “—aku sedang tidak ingin apa-apa. Kau sendiri bagaimana?” Yang disusul oleh gumam pelan Rigg. Iris legamnya melirik beberapa toko, sebelum akhirnya ia kembali menatap Indigo milik Albertine. “Negara ini terkenal dengan olahan roti dan makanan manis kan? Ayo kita makan itu!”
Leblanc bungsu pun mengangguk. Belum sempat ia menunjukkan arah, Rigg menarik tangannya. Albertine menghentikan langkahnya, Ia menatap tangannya yang berada di genggaman tangan Rigg,
“Hm… sepertinya ini tidak perlu?” ucapnya, memberi isyarat kepada genggaman mereka.
“Kenapa? Tidak apa-apa kan? Lagipula kota ini penuh, aku tidak bisa hilang di sini.”
“…..terserah lah.” Leblanc bungsu pun menyerah, membiarkan Rigg memimpin langkah mereka.
***
“Ah, kalau kafe ini bagaimana?” Ucap Rigg bersemangat. Albertine menatap pemuda itu, kemudian indigonya menatap papan nama toko bernuansa reinassance yang berada di hadapan mereka. “Au petit versailles du marais…?” Gumamnya pelan. Rasanya ia pernah mendengar toko ini dari sepupu-sepupunya. Albertine mengangguk pelan, “Boleh. Lagipula tidak ada makanan yang tidak enak di sini.” Ucapnya dengan senyum tipis di wajahnya. Kali ini, Albertine yang memimpin langkah mereka memasuki kafe yang berada di persimpangan itu. Seorang karyawan menyapanya dan mengarahkan mereka kepada satu meja yang berada di pojok ruangan, bersebelahan dengan jendela sehingga mereka bisa melihat pemandangan kota Paris.
Setelah berbincang sebentar dengan karyawan yang bernama Bartolome, Albertine tersenyum dan berkata, “Oui, merci beaucoup.”, sebelum akhirnya ia menatap seksama rangkaian menu yang tertera di lembaran yang tengah digenggamnya. Rigg terkekeh pelan, “Aku jarang mendengarmu berbicara dalam bahasa perancis. Kau terdengar berbeda dan lebih berkelas.” godanya.
“…maksudmu aku tidak berkelas?”
“Bukan. Kau jadi lebih cantik 100 kali.” Iris hitam Rigg Kembali sibuk melihat daftar menu. Ia tidak menyadari bahwa wajah Albertine memerah karena ucapan itu. Ucapan yang dilontarkan begitu saja oleh Rigg.
—Oleander sialan, batinnya.
“Ah, jadi tadi apa kata pelayannya?”
“Kafe ini terkenal dengan kopinya, lalu pelayan tadi bernama Bartolome dan kalau ingin memesan, kita tinggal memanggil dia saja.” Ucap Albertine. “—jadi, kau mau makan apa?”
“Aku sedang ingin makan yang manis…..” Rigg menatap jajaran roti dan olahan lainnya yang dipajang. Banyak yang menarik, tetapi ia tidak mungkin memesan banyak.
“Aku percaya dengan instingmu, Albertine. Kau saja yang pesankan.” Pemuda itu tersenyum, tangannya menyodorkan lembaran menu yang berada di genggaman tangannya.
***
Gemerlap cahaya menghujani kota Paris pada malam hari yang didominasi oleh warna oranye hangat. Suara kendaraan dan perbincangan semakin menghidupkan suasana Paris. Albertine dan Rigg berjalan menyusuri sungai Seine. Di bawah sebuah pohon, langkah mereka terhenti.
“Istirahat dulu, yuk?” Ucap Rigg seraya menyandarkan tubuhnya pada beton yang membatasi mereka dengan sungai. Albertine mengangguk, kedua lengannya diistirahatkan pada beton itu. Bulir indigonya menatap pemandangan Paris, sudah lama ia tidak keluar dan menikmati ini, pikirnya. Tanpa berkata apa-apa, mereka menikmati pemandangan dan malam musim panas. Sesekali berjalan-jalan seperti ini bisa menyegarkan pikiran juga, batin Albertine. Kalau tidak karena Oleander muda ini, mungkin musim panasnya hanya dihabiskan di rumah saja.
Rigg menoleh Albertine, topinya ia letakkan di kepala gadis tersebut hingga surai kecokelatannya tertutupi. Iris indigo Albertine menoleh kepada Rigg yang kini sedang tersenyum.
“…apa?”
“Dengan baju seperti itu, apa kau tidak kedinginan, Albertine? Walau sekarang sedang musim panas, ini sudah malam. Anginnya cukup dingin.”
“Tidak apa-apa.” Jawab gadis itu pelan.
“Nanti ayo pergi lagi! Kau mau kemana?” Oleander muda itu nampak bersemangat. Albertine tersenyum tipis. Dalam hatinya ia membatin bahwa tidak peduli kemanapun asal bersama Oleander muda ini, semua perjalanan akan menjadi menyenangkan.
“I’ll let you decide.” Albertine tersenyum, rona merah Tampak sedikit mewarnai wajah Leblanc bungsu tersebut. Rigg tersenyum sebelum akhirnya bulir hitam legamnya di arahkan kepada salah satu jam yang berdiri tak jauh dari mereka. Waktu sudah hampir menunjukkan pukul sembilan malam. Ia rasa mereka sudah harus pulang sekarang.
Oleander muda itu menghela nafas panjang,
“Sepertinya kita harus pulang sekarang, Albertine.” ucapnya. Ia agak menyayangkan ini karena sebenarnya Rigg masih ingin menghabiskan waktu di luar. Bulir indigo Albertine mengikuti arah pandang Rigg, gadis itupun mengangguk dan melangkahkan kakinya.
“…oh!” Gumam Rigg, Albertine menoleh kepada Oleander muda tersebut. “I’ve just got one more thing to say.” Ucapnya. Sebuah kecupan singkat dilayangkan pada bibir Albertine. Leblanc bungsu itu terdiam, sementara Rigg melempar sebuah senyum tipis.
“Today was fun. Let’s do it for the rest of our lives!”
Albertine terkekeh pelan, lengannya dikaitkan dengan lengan Rigg. “Oui, let’s do it for the rest of our lives.” Ucap gadis tersebut.
Iris merahnya mengintip dari balik buku yang tengah dibacanya. Ia melihat Eunice, teman se-asramanya, menatap dirinya dengan kesal. Annabelle menghela nafas panjang, bukunya ia tutup dan diletakannya di meja di samping tempat tidurnya.
“Apa?”
“Apa yang kau baca? Sampai perlu berkali-kali ku panggil seperti itu” ucap Eunice kesal seraya berkacak pinggang. Bulir sewarna langitnya mengarah ke pintu kamar asrama mereka. “—ada yang mencarimu di common room.” Timpalnya seraya mendudukkan tubuhnya di atas kasur. Eunice bersiap untuk menarik selimut hijau mudanya saat Annabelle bertanya,
“….siapa?”
“Tidak tahu, tadi anak tahun pertama yang memberitahuku.”
“—jangan tanya apa-apa lagi, aku mengantuk. Dan sebaiknya kau cepat-cepat turun juga karena sepertinya dia menunggumu?” Tambah Eunice. Jemari lentik gadis itu menarik selimut tebalnya hingga dagu, “Selamat malam.” Dan akhirnya gadis bersurai hitam itu menutup matanya, meninggalkan Annabelle yang masih terduduk di pinggir kasurnya penuh dengan tanda tanya.
Surai pirangnya diikat, ia kemudian mengambil jubah tidurnya yang berwarna merah. Kakinya diselipkan ke dalam sendal hangat berwarna hijau dengan motif kotak. Ini pertengahan Januari, dan ruang bersama atau common room mereka tidak terkenal karena kehangatannya. Gadis itu pun melangkah keluar kamar asramanya dan menuju ruang bersama. Sepi, tentu saja. Ini sudah jam tidur. Prefek mereka pasti akan bertindak bila masih ada yang menggaduh. Ia melangkah semakin ke tengah dari common room, iris merahnya mencari hingga akhirnya sesosok laki-laki yang tengah duduk sendiri menarik perhatiannya. Ia duduk di salah satu kursi dengan ukir khas asrama mereka, bulir zamrudnya terfokus pada papan catur yang berada di hadapannya seraya sesekali jemari kurus laki-laki itu menggerakkan buah-buah catur.
Annabelle terdiam, kedua tangannya dilipat. Ia tidak berkata apa-apa hingga akhirnya bulir zamrud laki-laki itu beralih kepadanya saat ia menyadari ada orang lain di sana. Sebuah senyum tipis tampak di wajah Viper muda.
“Lama ya.” Ucapnya singkat seraya mendengus pelan. Gestur tangannya seolah mempersilakan Annabelle duduk di kursi yang berhadapan dengannya. Gadis itu melangkah pelan mendekati Aeolia Viper. “Selamat tahun baru.” Timpalnya yang disusul oleh kerutan dahi Annabelle. Ini sudah tanggal dua belas Januari tetapi ia mengucapkan selamat tahun baru?
“Apa maumu, Viper.” Annabelle berucap ketus, ia malas berurusan dengan segala omong kosong dan tingkah Aeolia Viper. Ia hanya ingin hidup dengan tenang, sesulit itukah?
Aeolia tersenyum, bulir zamrudnya kembali terfokus pada papan catur yang berada di hadapan mereka. “….ingin bertemu dan mengobrol saja. Tidak boleh?” Jawab Viper muda itu pelan. Jari telunjuk dan Ibu jarinya memindahkan salah satu buah catur, kemudian ia melirik Annabbelle. “—kau sama sekali tidak datang saat acara tahun baru kemarin? Ingrid menanyaimu.”
“Uh-uh. Aku sudah mengirim surat kepada Ingrid.”
“Dia sudah menganggapmu seperti kakaknya sendiri. Bahkan melebihi aku.”
Aku tahu itu—batin Annabelle. Gadis itu pun, sejujurnya, sudah menganggap Ingrid seperti adiknya sendiri. Tumbuh menjadi anak tunggal menyebalkan dan sepi. Namun karena Ingrid dan Aiolia, ia merasa seperti ada saudara kandung yang tumbuh bersamanya.
“Bahkan ayahmu datang. Apa dia Sudah menyerah dengan putrinya yang keras kepala?”
Annabelle menghela nafas panjang. Ia tidak butuh omong kosong ini, pikirnya. Gadis itu membalikkan badannya dan bersiap untuk pergi. Namun Aeolia Viper menarik lengannya dan mendekap gadis itu. Untuk sesaat, Annabelle merasa nafasnya tercekat.
“All these years that I’ve lost you… it doesn’t feel the same.” Viper itu berucap pelan. Annabelle meraih kedua tangan Aeolia Viper dan melepaskan dekapannya. Ia membalikkan badannya, iris merahnya beradu dengan zamrud milik pemuda itu. “I cannot afford to broke my heart twice, Viper.” Ucap Annabelle singkat, nadanya terkesan seperti sebuah permohonan. Jemari kurusnya memainkan surai pirang Annabelle.
“Tidak tahu sejak kapan, tetapi sepertinya aku telah merindukanmu, Vargas.” Suara Viper muda itu tenang, nyaris seperti berbisik. “—dan kau tidak perlu takut.”
‘Don’t mess with my head’
Ia meraih tangan Aeolia Viper. Dingin, pikirnya. Bulir merahnya menatap jemari kurus dan pucat milik Viper muda. Annabelle menghela nafas panjang, “Viper. Kau tahu yang seperti ini tidak akan merubah apapun.” Ucapnya pelan. “Mungkin ini bisa memikat hati orang lain, tetapi aku tidak.” Tambahnya seraya melepaskan tangan Viper.
“This is the most sincere that I’ve ever been, tho’ ” Senyum tipis terlihat di wajah Aeolia.
‘Don’t tell me you’re falling with your feet’
‘Still on the ledge’
Annabelle menghela nafas panjang. Ia tidak berkata apa-apa, begitu pun Aeolia. Ruangan itu terasa lebih dingin dari biasanya, atmosfirnya pun terasa berat. Aeolia Viper meraih kedua pergelangan tangan Annabelle. Ia menutup jarak di antara mereka. “I’ve been missing you and failed to comprehend with it.” Bisiknya. Bulir merah Annabelle menatap Viper muda itu. Ia mengecup kening Annabelle.
‘Don’t kiss me, right now’
Wajah gadis itu terasa panas. Seolah mantra petrificus telah diarahkan kepadanya, ia terdiam dan tidak dapat berfikir apa-apa. Keningnya berkerut, ia bahkan tidak tahu apa yang ia rasakan saat ini. “….leave it, if you don’t mean it.” Ucap Annabelle, mengumpulkan sisa kesadarannya yang ada. Viper muda itu terkekeh pelan. Jemarinya mengelus lembut pipi Annabelle.
“But, I do.” Aeolia Viper tersenyum tipis. “Fortunately, I do, Vargas.” ulangnya.
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