THE CAMP

Chapter 8 – Something, Someone

Amou Nami jumped, her right hand reaching out, trying to get a hold of the item they had seen that day that had been hanging on the bough above her and her partner. Finally, she and Tsuchiura were able to get to their destination although with only a tad of luck.

They struggled to be able to get to their current location—a tall pine tree. Before they reached it, though, Tsuchiura had almost injured himself when he slipped off from a mound of earth and hit his right shoulder to a huge steady rock. It was a good thing that he had his backpack on when he hit the rock—a thing that absolutely saved him from total injury.

At the first time they had stepped in their camp site, Tsuchiura had already taken notice of a tall tree not far away. It was the tallest he had ever seen in his entire life and it was quite attention grabbing as the stature of the other trees weren't as high as the tree he had seen. Quite obviously, it was also the only pine tree among the others. And ironically, it was the tree they were stepping on.

Amou jumped again, this time nearly sliding off from the tree branch. Tsuchiura, fortunately, was able to catch her in no time.

The green-head sighed. "Be careful, that's all I can say," he said, helping Amou recover through patting the girl's back. "We're meters away from the ground, remember that. It's dangerous to do such stunts."

Amou glared at him. "Then why don't you get our item so we're finished immediately? Besides, aren't you just the oh-so-mighty soccer prince of Seiso?"

Tsuchiura glowered back, stepping back along the think branch, perfectly balanced. "And tell me—are you the most celebrated bigmouth-loudmouth of Seiso who never fails to piss me off these past few days?" he countered, crossing his arms and looking up at the hanging plastic bag. "Tch, and you're short in stature—that's why you can't grab that little piece of . . . whatever."

"Hah! Now I know why Kaho-chan favors Tsukimori-kun more than you—you're such an ass!" snapped Amou, looking away from the lad and onto the hanging item. Pointing out her height added gas to the fire all the more. "If you just know . . . ," she said, barely audible. It wasn't meant for Tsuchiura to hear but still, he did.

". . . What?"

Amou's eyes flickered to his direction. "What 'what'?"

Tsuchiura hesitated before saying, "You said something but I didn't get to hear it clearly."

The beige-haired girl slightly blushed and looked away, folding her arms. "I won't tell you because, like I said, you're an ass."

Tsuchiura sighed, shaking his head. What would he get from a pissed off Amou? He really did wonder why she was acting all this cheesed off with him. It wasn't like he did something aggravating towards the lass, did he? He was just acting like his own self but the girl . . . she was just so . . . . Something was definitely off with Amou.

And Tsuchiura wanted to know what was wrong with her.

He shouldn't have acted like the question bothered him. He should have done the contrary. He should have answered the question straight out so there wouldn't be anything that would bug his viscera any longer.

No. Actually, he shouldn't have just joined this insane idea of a camp. No. He shouldn't have just studied in Seiso Academy. Yes. He shouldn't have just met Hino Kahoko.

Should have . . . . Should have . . . . Should have . . . .

But he didn't.

"Tsukimori-kun . . . do you like me?"

It was annoying.

Tsukimori Len ran aimlessly, looking around for something he could use to help Kahoko up from the pit she had fallen into. Not far away from his right was a group of banana trees that seemed to wait for him to look at them. Without hesitating, he approached a tree and thought of something to get to help the redhead.

Looking at the ground, he got an elongated rock with a sharp side and obstinately cut off a 1 and a half-meter-long leaf. With difficulty, Tsukimori completely removed the leaf from that trunk and got only its midrib.

The blue-head bit his lip but nevertheless walked off, heading back to where Kahoko was.

"Idiot," he muttered under his breath, making his way back. "She's such an idiot."

A small smile spread across his lips upon certain words he heard a few weeks ago when they were stranded in an island—when it was only him and her alone just like this . . . .

"If you think that I am an idiot that I am, simply call me Idiot, expect that I would smile."

He had always placed the words she promised in his heart—the words that made the smallest of smiles escape from his lips and that made the tiniest glint of bliss show up in his eyes. And there, he recalled Kahoko's other words. And that made a whole new willpower run through his veins, making him run more and more and more . . . and reach her.

Kahoko looked up at the hole above. There stood Tsukimori Len, palms on his knees, panting. He had a long midrib of a banana leaf with him and she wondered if that would ever reach her—

"Hino," called out Tsukimori as he stared at her. Was that worry she could perceive from his eyes? "Can you stand up?"

"Oh . . . ," mumbled Kahoko, a sheepish smile on her lips. "I guess I can."

Tsukimori nodded. "Good."

Kahoko's eyes widened. "Tsukimori-kun! What are you doing?"

Tsukimori had cautiously jumped a little inside the pit and what amazed Kahoko the most was the fact that he didn't completely fall off as he hung on there, his left hand holding onto the edge of the earth and his right hand holding the midrib he had with him. The redhead assumed that he was balancing himself (for him not to fall onto her current location) as he had his feet stepping onto a solid bump within the earth walls.

"W—What are—Tsukimori-kun, you must be careful!" stuttered Kahoko, her hands clutching her chest. "You nearly scared me there!"

Tsukimori raised an eyebrow. "Really now?" he asked. "Just grab a hold onto this."

The blue-headed young man wiggled the midrib with him to emphasize what he was talking about.

"But Tsukimori-kun, are you certain that we won't . . . you know . . . fa—"

"Fall?" continued Tsukimori, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "Just take it."

Kahoko pouted and in the depths of Tsukimori's stomach, he could feel slight amusement. He knew she was scared—as scared as she was when they fell off a cliff when they were stranded once—but he knew that she knew that he was right there in front of her. Protecting her, as much as he hated to admit it.

"O—Okay."

And Hino Kahoko got a hold of the upper part of the midrib.

Hihara scratched his head and groaned in utter frustration.

"Yunokiiiiii! I haaaaate thiiiiiiiisss. Seriooussssssssss," he complained, now folding his arms across his chest and pouting like a child. "JUST WHERE THE HELL ARE WE NAAOOWW?"

The purple-haired young man with him smiled although there was a slight twitching on his eyebrows. They had roamed around the place now for almost an hour already and there was no sign of Shimizu's pillow just yet. They even came across some signs that said where the "right direction" was ought to be but it only seemed to say the complete contrary.

"Hihara, stop—"

"The sign said we're going to the northeast but why do I have this really, really, really, really, really annoying feeling that we're in the northwest???"

You're the annoying one. "Hiha—"

"OH KAMI-SAMA, LOSING ISN'T IN MY PLAN!"

And being your partner isn't in my plan either, tch. A sigh escaped the Yunoki's lips. "Look, Hihara—"

"WHAT IF WE'RE THE LAST PAIR TO EVER GET OUR LAS—"

"Hihara!" called Yunoki with an eyebrow raised. "I want you to stop whining and let's just retrace the route we've been not long ago so we would be able to get to our real area."

"But—"

The green-headed trumpeter stopped, feeling a sudden chill ran down his spine. Why did he get the unusual feeling that Yunoki was practically annoyed at him? And so, without further complaining, he followed the lavender-haired lad in front of him.

Tanned arms gripped tightly the thick, rough trunk. Long, lean legs supported a robust body frame as it crawled upward to another tree branch. A sigh broke away from Tsuchiura Ryoutaro's lips as he stood up on the tree branch above the branch Amou Nami was standing on.

"Okay, I'll untie this thing," he said as he kneeled down on one knee, starting to loosen the plastic bag from the round limb of the tree. "When this falls, catch it."

He stared at Amou's determined eyes and let the item fall when the girl nodded.

Tsuchiura smiled victoriously when Amou caught the item.

"I got it!" yelled Amou with a toothy grin. She posed herself with a peace-slash-victory sign in her right hand, her left clutching the item to her chest. "I got it!"

"Good, you didn't tell me sooner that you have some use," he said as he prepared himself to go down. He sighed. "At last, we're done—"

"I don't have a use, do I?" yelled Amou, seething and glaring at the soccer player and pianist. "Then—"

"AMOU!"

Tsuchiura, without thinking, jumped off the current branch he was on onto the bough where Amou had been and successfully balanced himself, dived in to reach his hand out to Amou's fortunately gripping hand on the bough. Amou had slipped (all by accident) and was fortunate enough to be able to grab a hold onto the limb of the tree before she could even fall helplessly to the ground.

There was a clicking sound from below them as Amou unconsciously let go of the object she had with her.

"Are you all right?" asked Tsuchiura as he grasped Amou's arm with bost of his hands. He had to admit it—his heart seemed to leap up to his throat the moment his eyes caught Amou's feet slipping off. "You nearly fell! Be careful! What do you think would have happened had you not seized this branch?"

His glare softened when his eyes met Amou's tearful ones. It was the first time—in the long friendship with Amou—that he had seen the girl cry.

"I'm scared."

"O—Okay. I'll—"

"I—I'm scared."

Tsuchiura sighed. "Look. I'll pull you up through your right hand. Once you think you can reach this bough with your other hand, I will let go so you could pull up yourself from there. Is it all right with you?"

"I'm scared, Tsuchiura-shi! I'm scared!"

"Then trust me."

Amou wanted to continue saying how scared she was but then . . . at the back of her mind, there was a nagging that said, "Trust him."

"Ah!"

Tsukimori frowned when Kahoko let go of the tip of the midrib again and crouched down. "What now?" he groaned.

Kahoko looked up at him with a smile in her crouching position and got something from the ground. She picked it up and, still sitting, waved it in front of her.

"Tsukimori-kun, I think I've just found what we're looking for," she said, grinning.

Again, the lad had the sudden urge to roll his eyes. "Fine. But we won't be able to finish all that immediately if you'll stay there and won't pull up any endeavor to actually get yourself up—even despite the sprain in your ankle."

Kahoko pouted. "All right but admit it, you're happy that we're going to finish soon, ne, Tsukimori-kun?" she said, somewhat teasing the young man with her. She grinned when he sighed and wiggled the midrib with him again.

Yunoki continued walking ahead until he reached the intersection they had been not long ago where a placard was. On the placard was an arrow pointing to the direction they got into saying "Northeast." They should have known that Kanazawa, Ousaki, and Hihara's brother had done some deplorable things.

"So I guess we need to walk that way"—Hihara pointed to the right when they were torn between left and right—"as that was the opposite of where we've gone earlier, ne? Ehhh . . . we should have realized that east is on the right, not left."

Yunoki shrugged. "I guess," he said before starting to walk ahead again. "Hino-san's diary might have contaminated our heads with some sort of bugs."

His voice was awfully dripping with venom called . . . hatred? Hihara shivered upon the thought. Why would Yunoki, his best friend, hate the girl of his dreams? Hihara should admit—he was starting to really love the redhead.

The chains of thoughts were broken when he stepped on something cuddly. The green-headed trumpeter stopped from walking.

"KAMI-SAMA, YUNOKI, I THINK I'VE FOUND IT!"

Kahoko laughed as she scanned through the album they had gotten on the first task. There were pictures of Tsuchiura when he was so young—so young he didn't know he was wearing a pink bikini—the image continuously popped up in Kahoko's head—; a red cheongsam with slits on the side of the leg that reached up until his upper thigh; and a bunny costume; and also a ballerina's dress.

"Would you believe that, Tsukimori-kun?" she said as she giggled. She was currently on Tsukimori's back, having a piggy-back ride. "Tsuchiura-kun wore a PINK bikini!"

Tsukimori insisted on carrying her on his back so she wouldn't strain her feet—one of which was sporting on a sprain. Kahoko declined the offer, though, but later on agreed when Tsukimori got her up onto his back without her permission. It didn't dis her but still . . . .

Nevertheless, Kahoko enjoyed the "ride". Her arms were wrapped around Tsukimori's shoulder, the album on her hands all the while as they walked towards the finish line. The last valuable object was with Tsukimori.

Kahoko didn't expect him to be the type of person to do "multi-tasking" but he was. And she smiled at the thought.

"I'm sorry, Tsukimori-kun," she whispered into his ear.

In the angle she could perceive, she saw Tsukimori's eyes narrow. "What for?" the lad asked.

". . . Because of the insane question I've shoved into you," she answered. "I—I didn't mean to bring in discomfort and awkwardness but—"

"I'm fine with it."

"Eh?"

"I said I'm fine with it. I think it's only natural for you to ask that as I was . . . I was acting weirdly around you."

A small smile adorned Kahoko's lips. "I'm really sorry . . . . It isn't important, though!" At this, Kahoko chuckled. From the corner of his eyes, Tsukimori looked at her. "I mean . . . what matters is that I'm with you . . . you're with me. I shouldn't care whether you like me or not, ne? Time will find its way—there will be this moment when I'll know the answer."

". . ."

"Because . . ."

". . ."

Kahoko nuzzled her nose onto Tsukimori's nape. "What's important is having something with you than nothing, ne?"

The blue-head violinist slightly stiffened at the statement.

"So that works with someone, doesn't it? Someone is far better than no one . . . right?"

And there was this small smile on Tsukimori's face that went unseen by Kahoko, although unknown to him, she swore she heard a whisper coming from him that said, "But having you is far better than having just a someone with me."

. . . to be continued

Author's Notes: I'm back! :D I want to apologize for such a late, late update. It's been a month, hasn't it? I'm sorry--not exactly a month as I last updated on the third of April. And also, I apologize for this . . . uhhh . . . very dull chapter. I did this all in one seating. ;] Oh, the end is near. I'm happyyyyyy because I'll be finishing another piece for La Corda D'Oro!! I decided to make it ten chapters plus an epilogue to make it eleven. Ohhh.

And I'm sorry for the occasional transition of scenes. Perhaps too much rest has totally deteriorated my writing style.

I need inspiration so please review?

Thanks to the following for the reviews!

-. Streiter . Destiny . Miseki.-

Annalisemarie99

aris-chan

gAm3fr3Akal

gizelle-chan

Hanisakura

Jeniffer Artemis

little miss flutterfly

NeKo Meow

nettetenjilover

Pathetic Rainbow

random-panda-chan

season's call

thank you and reviews?

~sera-chan