♥The Shape of Love♥KnB♥Kaijou♥

♥12♥ 4 seasons

"I don't believe people will stay the same. They either change for the better or for worse..." He then poured the sugar into his bitter coffee a few grains at a time, "Tsuyu-san, what you're doing is expecting your friend to go from bitterness to this sweet girl who loved basketball in an instant. Your words are like these grains of sugar, you can't expect it to go through to her at once."

"My efforts are useless...?" Natsuhi looked dejected to have reality to her face like this.

"No. I am saying you are making little effects to your friend. I will tell you this though, someday there will be a sugar cube for your friend's bitterness." He then plopped a sugar cube into the bitter drink, giving it a stir before it became a coffee to his taste, "No efforts are ever wasted."

"You're saying it will be better someday and I don't have to rush things?"

"Yes."

Natsuhi smiled at his words and she put another sugar cube into his cup of coffee. Kobori looked at her with a slightly surprised face, which melted to a warm smile.

"I know you like two sugar cubes when you're drinking coffee."

On the other side of the road, Hayakawa and Fuyu were walking with one another, eating crepe.

"Snow P(r)incess! I know you wi(ll) win the Inte(r)high! Let's have a good match!"

"Haha... Yeah..." 'He does realize the guys won't have a match against the gi(r)ls, right? I hope he does...'

"I am ve(r)y happy you wi(ll) be ab(l)e to p(l)ay! You look so happy when playing basketba(ll)!" She smiled at his words; he was right, she enjoyed playing basketball so much.

There was a part of Fuyu who felt guilty though. She felt guilty for making so many teams upset when Shiki went to sabotage the teams Aozora were having practice matches with. Fuyu felt bad because she heard that the teams they have sabotaged made a lot of their regular lineups drop out due to devastation of being beaten by them. However, as bad as the sabotaging was, Fuyu can't deny it was fun to play basketball with all of them.

"Hiro, I not that great. If anything, I am horrible."

"What? Why? Anyone has a (r)ight to p(l)ay basketba(ll)."

"Even someone like me?"

"It's easie(r) to do something than wo(rr)y about it." He told her his motto, in hopes she will not worry about what happened.

"What can I do about it now? There isn't anything to do now..."

"Su(r)e the(r)e is! You can stay as you a(r)e!"

"As I am?"

"Yes!" Hayakawa held out his fist for her to bump, "The Snow P(r)incess who enjoys basketba(ll)! Don't wo(rr)y about the past!" Hayakawa was a simple person. However, it's this simpleness that he was able to not worry and be fine with anything that stood his way.

"Thank you, Hiro." She bumped his fist, "Really, thank you." Her troubles were gone because of his simpleness in the outlook of life...

"Akina-chan, is it because I am Hime's bodyguard that we can't be together?" Ying asked the brown haired girl, carrying her bags full of snacks while following behind her.

"Hm? No. It's because Yoshitaka is my boyfriend."

"But I can be a better boyfriend than him!"

"You can't."

"That was quick!?"

Akina's usual routine was batting off Ying, who has a crush on her ever since he first saw her. For Ying, it was love at first sight but it's annoying to her.

"Is it because I am in my 20's?! 26 isn't that old!"

"Please carry my snacks home in peace."

"Yes, my dearest!"

If only Akina can see the devastation in Moriyama's face, who was watching on the other side of the street. The Shooting Guard snapped a picture of them on his phone. No matter how he looked at it, they looked perfect for one another than she does with him.

'Akina...' It was heartbreaking but he had to face reality of the fact he's being cheated on. 'You sure found a better replacement...and here I thought we were going well with one another...' He didn't even realize he was crying as he struggled to delete the pictures he shared with Akina. 'It was short but I had fun being your boyfriend...'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kise and Harumi were talking from 9pm until midnight for a radio show. The radio show was a popular station to young people.

"No wonder no one is getting enough sleep..." Kise yawned, "I'm tired..."

"Don't complain. Come on, let's get home."

"Sure! Ah! Senpai, I'll walk you home."

"No thanks, I am good."

"It's dangerous for a girl to walk home alone."

"You're sweet but it's fine. I live close. Hey, how are you getting home?" Harumi asked him.

"Me? I walking home."

"We live in a society where pretty boys like you are fine meat, you know? You ought to be careful."

"F-fine meant?! Don't say things like that, Harumi-senpai..."

"Tell you what, stay at mine for a bit until your sister pick you up."

"Thank you, Harumi-senpai..."

"You're welcome."

Now that Kise think about it, he only knew she's living alone in her own apartment but he knew nothing else about her.

"Sorry for intruding..." Kise took his shoes off and looked around the place.

It looked pretty normal, an average apartment. For someone who lived alone, the atmosphere felt pretty homey.

'It's lonely...' Despite the warm appearance, Harumi's apartment gave off a somewhat lonely feeling once entering in Kise's mind.

"Huh, this place contrasts greatly with your image, Harumi-senpai."

"Does it? I think it's pretty normal. I like living alone."

"You don't have to lie to me when I am the only one here, Senpai." Kise smiled, "You could have said we can wait for my sister together back at the radio station but you offered for me to come here... You're lonely at your own home, right?"

"Ahh, no wonder they said I can only sing and dance."

"It's okay." Kise put his bag down, "Should I come by often and visit you?"

"You will?!"

"Aha! You are lonely!"

"Eh?! Ah!!" She closed her mouth with her palm, unable to believe she was deceived by Kise! He was just testing her!

"Hahaha!" Kise then sat down on the creamy sofa she had, finding it comfy to sit on, "Senpai, if you are lonely, why didn't you say so?"

Harumi didn't want to answer him at first but she sighed, sitting down on the sofa too.

"Senpai..." Kise may be the younger one between them but the roles seems to have reversed for a brief moment.

"I don't want to bother Shiki-senpai and the others..."

"Surely you have friends in your year?"

"I am an idol. Even though I am in disguise, I don't want to increase my chance of having identity revealed."

"Isn't it lonely?"

"...that's the downside, I guess?"

"Then it's decided!" Kise suddenly shot up from the comfortable seat, "I'll make Senpai feel less lonely!"