Title: Shout Out Towards Tomorrow (Chapter Three)
Characters: Ohno, Aiba, Ami, Jun, Nino
Rating: G
Warning(s): FAKE
Note:.
To delve more into the title, it’s just like the song “Asu ni Mukatte Hoero”. Get the lyrics here.
Sorry for the late post. I would’ve and could’ve posted it earlier, but I was distracted XD;
Enjoy~!
Chapter Four! CLICK!!
 
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The dream Ohno had the morning in Aiba’s bed was that of when he pulled him to the zoo one day after school.

            “Ne, Riida!” Aiba burst into the room

            “Riida ja nai!” Ohno contradicted not looking up from the drawing he was struggling with.

            Aiba ignored him and jumped from foot to foot, giggling excitedly. “Riida, Riida! Get up! Get ready! We’re going to the zoo!”

            Ohno lifted his head to look at Aiba, forgetting about his drawing. He cocked his head in question. “There’s a zoo here?”

            “Hai! Amazing right? The basketball team manager, Ami-chan, said she wanted us to go on a field trip. Coach said ok. I asked her if I could bring Oh-chan along. She looked confused at first but then smiled real big! Ne, Riida, I think she likes you!” His words flowed out of his mouth in a stream of excitement, getting louder and louder. He looked at the clock above Ohno’s desk and squeaked, pulling Ohno out of his seat. Ohno had observed the spectacle as if from afar, hardly taking anything in. All he thought was, Eh? A girl likes me? “Oh-chan!” Aiba yelled anxiously. “Get up!” And so Ohno went to the zoo with Aiba.

 

            It was the first time Ohno had been anywhere out of the school with Aiba. The train ride to the zoo was fast but Ohno hardly noticed the people around him He wasn’t really thinking about what was going on the, just that it had been getting harder and harder to be creative.

            He didn’t notice that the train had stopped until he felt a small hand tugging on his. “Ohno-kun, we’re here.”

            Ohno pulled back, shocked. He didn’t know this person. And it was a girl. “Who’re you?” He asked. The girl’s face turned into a hurt expression. Ohno flinched but before he could react to it she composed herself.

            “I’m Ami. Takahashi Ami. I’m the basketball team manager.” Ohno nodded. So this was the girl that had caused him to come to the zoo with Aiba. He couldn’t tell if she was good or not yet. “I’m also in your English class,” she ventured, unmoving. He cocked his head and her slight smile fell a little. “I sit two seats in front of you…?” This time her voice cracked. Ohno winced and flashed a smile at her.

            “Ah, Ami-chan! Nice to see you again!” He nearly choked on his fakeness, scared it wouldn’t work. He had truly never noticed this girl before. But when the girl smiled enthusiastically, he relaxed. “Where’s Aiba? Do you know?”

            She nodded and Ohno couldn’t help but notice the slight color to her cheeks. He wondered if she had a fever. She moved back, allowing Ohno to stand and make his way off the train. “I think he’s already in the zoo. He was the first to get off the train,” Ami said, replying to Ohno’s question.

            “Oh,” was all Ohno said to acknowledge her. He didn’t feel much like speaking anymore. Much less to a person he didn’t know. He looked at her scrutinizing every aspect of her, as was his artistic nature. She wasn’t bad looking. Her hair was nicely cut short to frame her face and she had a nice figure. Her skin was smooth and her dark eyes were underneath thick lashes. Even though she was made up nicely, something about Ami irked Ohno. He tried to figure it out but words interrupted his thoughts. “Is there something on my face, Ohno-san?” Ami asked looking at him worriedly and confused.

            “Iie,” he said, looking away. “Is this the zoo?”

            Ami nodded and opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by Aiba bounding up to Ohno who couldn’t help but chuckle at the childlike innocence that he exuded. “Ne, Riida!”

            “Riida ja nai,” Ohno mumbled although he was smiling at the ground. Ami gave them a weird look and Aiba ignored them both.

            “C’mon! Let’s go in! I want to see the animals! And you hafta see them too, Riida! Have you ever been to the zoo? You said you hadn’t, right? I can’t remember, but whatever. Let’s go!” He tugged Ohno by the hand, leading him to the entrance of the zoo. Ohno tripped over himself with Aiba pulling him so hard, but a smirk played across his lips. He was impressed by how Aiba could act so childish and not care who saw.

            Ohno felt the presence of being followed and guessed that it was Ami, though he could care less as Aiba obsessed to him about all the different kinds of animals. He was pulled to the seals first. Aiba stared at them for many minutes before he got sick of the smell. Ohno was reluctant to leave, but Aiba was persistent; he wanted to see every animal before they had to leave the zoo. The next exhibit Ohno was dragged to were the snakes and other amphibians. Ohno grimaced when Aiba asked him if they were slimy and shrugged, turning away from the long critters that definitely seemed to be slimy. After a few minutes there he was tugged back and forth to the mammals and chimps. Ohno laughed when Aiba attempted to talk to the chimps and when he hid behind his back at the kangaroos. “They look like they kick hard!” He complained, tugging Ohno away again.

            The last exhibit was the sloths. Aiba laughed and clapped, pointing from them to Ohno. “Oh my god, Riida. They’re just like you.” Ohno frowned at them wondering just how similar they were before Aiba pulled him away for a snack.

           

            Ohno woke up with the taste of fried bread on his tongue. He sat up bit disoriented, forgetting for a second that he was in Aiba’s bed. Looking around the room he felt that all we wanted was to go back to sleep. But her got up and got ready to try and make through another day.

 

            “Hey!” Ohno looked up at the call. Ami was standing behind the seat that faced him. He nodded to her and went back to eating his ramen. “You mind if I sit here, Ohno-san?” Ohno didn’t even bother to reply; he had already nodded to her.

            For a while they ate in an awkward silence, Ohno not even attempting to disturb it as he slurped his ramen. “Ano…”Ami said after a couple minutes. “How come you’re not with Aiba-san? I mean, you two are usually always together.”

            Ohno swallowed his mouthful of noodles. That question was not one he could answer with a nod or shake of his head. “He’s at his parent’s..” he mumbled, wiping his mouth. He looked down at the bowl of ramen. Oh, he thought, it’s already empty.

            “I see…” she said seeing a little put off with Ohno’s very straight-to-the-point answer. “Well, are you doing anything today? The basketball club id off on the weekends and I don’t have anything to do so I was wondering…” She trailed off. Ohno eyed her lazily. He didn’t feel like ‘hanging out’ today, and not with this girl he hardly knew. “I was wondering if you were busy today… and if not if you wanted to do something?”

            “Sorry,” Ohno answered, rather quickly standing up from the table. “I’m busy today.” He said that, even though he knew he would just be in his room all day struggling with his artistry. Ami’s face fell and her eyes teared up. Ohno blanched at her reaction. “M-maybe some other time?” He stuttered. Tears didn’t appeal to him much.

            “H-hai,” she said, sniffling. Ohno grabbed his empty tray and left the girl sitting there alone.

~*~

            Jun stared over the bruised body lying on the ground. His heart pounded obnoxiously in his chest, making it hard for him to breath. He kneeled down next to the body and brushed a hand over the closed eyes. “Nino…?” He said quietly in a quivering voice. His eyes searched Nino’s limp body and hardly relaxed when he noticed the slight rise and fall to the boy’s chest.

            Nino was beaten up badly. Jun could tell from the bruises that his nose was probably broken, he had a black eye, and that his arm was either twisted or broken. There were probably more injuries, but those were hidden by the dirtied uniform that covered Nino’s skin.

            Jun dropped his head into his hands and took deep breaths. He was horrified by this. He was furious at himself for not getting to Nino in time and at the person who had done this to his friend. He was scared for Nino, too. He worried that he might not recover, that the hurt arm may hinder his piano playing. Jun bit his lip at the distressed tears in his eyes and lifted his head. Nino would get better, he knew it. He had to. He pulled out the cell phone his mother had given him when they had moved. He wondered why he hadn’t though of asking for Nino’s number upon becoming acquainted with him as he dialed the emergency number. “Hello, I need an ambulance here at…” Jun told the person on the other end of the phone the situation.

            “We’ll be there in about ten minutes. Please wait until then and don’t move,” the person instructed.

            “Hai,” Jun said, flipping the cell closed. “Please get here soon,” he mumbled into his arm, looking down at the sleeping and battered Nino with teary and worried eyes.