KNB: Stay Forever with Me (Kise Ryouta)

30 - Gift

THIRTY - Gift

Kise courteously thanks the waiter for his order, and then apologizes for the broken bell installed at the front door. He pays for the damage, where the waiter immediately brings to the shop manager. He and Sayoko and now left alone to each other.

"So, how was the interview?" Sayoko asked, and then sips from her second cup of coffee.

"Interview?" Kise looked at the girl with wide eyes. "How did you know?"

Sayoko puts her cup down, and adjusts the handle so that it is turned away from her. "One way or another, you are going to find out about this meeting; but I knew that Momoi would be the most probable person to tell you about it. You would do something ridiculous if you knew, so I made sure that you weren't here when I talked to him."

She takes her spoon and brings the cup of sugar closer to her. "A classmate of mine was asking about my summer vacation, but instead I told her to go get your experience instead. I emphasized that it was more interesting on my own."

"And the guys from Basketball Monthly?" the blond asked, watching the female councilor place two teaspoons on her cup of coffee.

"I knew they were going to have an interview with the basketball team; Akashi told me so. That was just a stroke of luck for me."

Kise chuckles, his forefinger sliding around the rim of his glass. "Well, you got me. Sayokocchi knows me too well."

"You were simply easy to read. That's all," Sayoko said as she stirs the sugar into her drink. Kise lets out a sheepish grin.

"So... what did you and Kawazu talk about earlier?" the blond nervously asked, taking another sip from his cup of coffee to ease his nerves a little.

He watched Sayoko take another sip from her cup, seeing her smile. Apparently, she liked things sweet; but nothing was sweeter than seeing her smile.

"I told him to scram."

—-

Sayoko's hand touches the necklace. It had a diamond pendant, probably real. It was probably heavy around the neck, but any girl would feel jealous after seeing someone wear something as big as that. She averts her attention to the other gifts - the smell of chocolate alerted her senses, and the stuffed bear was rather cute. But she didn't like the blood red roses laid down on the table; it looks black to her.

"Kawazu-san."

The male across her gave the biggest smile that he could ever give. Not genuine enough, though.

"How many women have worn this necklace?" Sayoko asked with a deadpan expression.

Kawazu was surprised, and then gave a confused look. "W-Wh... One. It was my mother's necklace."

"Apparently you have around 15 mothers, and counting," Sayoko snapped. She was starting to get pissed.

The male brunet continued to give a confused look, but that only made the female councilor gawk at him with angry eyes. "Please quit the act, Kawazu Hideo. As you said, I am not like any girl you've seen out there. You can't fool me with a pretty face."

She then heard him chuckle darkly. "Okay, you got me," he said. "I am not like your typical Disney Prince Charming, but I do want you to be my girlfriend."

"And then what?" Sayoko interrupted, making Kawazu stop. He does gain his confidence once more, and tries to persuade the female councilor.

"That's it. Is there something more to it?" he confidently answered. It seemed like he was not the man she was talking to five minutes ago. The gentle, eloquent baseball player turned into someone overly confident, to the point it makes her nauseous.