So, Ootani hasn't seen Koizumi for a long, long time. So what does he do when he wants to see her?

I do not LoveCom. If I did...well, that'll be nice but it won't happen, now will it? XD

Read and comment please! w

His hand hovered over the phone as he stood in the doorway, his heart suddenly going at breakneck speed. After deliberating between going out of the house alone to giving Koizumi a call, he gave a frustrated cry before sitting himself down on the floor, his basketball rolling off to the corner of the house.

"Oi, Koizumi, want to go out to the court for a while?" he said out loud. "No, no, that just makes it sound too informal."

"Yo, you wanted to learn how to play basketball right?" he tried again. "Gah, that's worse! It makes it seem as though I'm talking to her just for the sake of teaching her how to play. Wait. Does she even still want to know how to play?"

"Hey, Ootani here, do you want t-" He stopped midsentence as he gave up trying to think of something. It was currently winter break, and Ootani hadn't seen Koizumi for a long, long time.

By long he meant close to a week. Ever since the extra lessons in school had ended, he hadn't seen her around. They only called each other on the phone, and spent an average of 3 hours talking about Umibouzu and nothing else, until it was close to midnight. Then, Koizumi would yawn, and tell him that she was going to bed, and then their conversation would end.

Which was why Ootani had decided; he would ask Koizumi out today. Today. Today!

It wasn't working. He had spent 30 minutes getting unbelievably frustrated in front of the telephone in the hallway, wondering what he should say to her and earning weird looks from his mother. He didn't want to sound too nonchalant about it, as Koizumi may read it the wrong way, thinking he wasn't serious about their relationship. At the same time, focusing merely on basketball made him sound like a basketball freak, and she would think he valued basketball more than her.

Sitting on the step, he propped his head up with his arms, staring at the door. Standing up, he started to pace around the narrow hallway. What should he say? What should he say to show that he still liked her a lot, but liked her a lot more than basketball? And at the same time had to show that he wanted to see her?

"Yo, Ootani here. You told me you wanted to learn to play basketball right? I'm free right now, so I'll meet you at the basketball court?" he rehearsed, saying his lines out loud, changing his tone slightly. This was perfect. It was casual, but not too casual, and he was placing her before basketball all at the same time. Mustering his courage, he stood up and ran to the phone again before his bravado disappeared, and picked up the cordless machine. Punching in her house number (that he duly memorized) he waited anxiously as the call was made. "Come on, come on, pick up the phone!"

"Koizumi residence." Her voice came onto the other line. Suddenly, his perfect plan to ask Koizumi out didn't seem to be that perfect anymore.

"I. uh, uhm. Yo, Koizumi." He mumbled slightly. "You uh. Uhm."

"Huh? I have no idea what you're mumbling about, but Ootani! You still owe me lots of basketball lessons! Don't tell me you forgot that I want to learn how to play it! Are you free right now?"

"Huh? Erm, yeah that was what I was going to ask-"

"Awesome, I'll meet you at the basketball court in about 10 minutes?" her cheery voice came back.

"Uh, sure!" Ootani went bright red, and as Koizumi said goodbye, he hung up the line, smiling to himself.

"Now I wonder how she knew what I was going to say." Slipping his feet into the sport shoes and doing up the laces quickly, he picked up the basketball from the corner of the room and went out of the house, bouncing it all the way, in time with his racing heart.