A/N: It's been a while since I've watched this anime, and I've never read the manga. I also haven't written a fic for it in a couple years. My previous fic for School Rumble was an Imadori/Ichijou fic. So this is my first time attempting to write Harima/Eri. Someone asked in a review on my first fic for this anime if I would do a story featuring this couple. And I really wanted to, since it's my favorite pairing from the show as well. I just lacked any ideas. Then...this came to me. But like I said, it's been awhile since I actually watched it, and I haven't read the manga. Obviously this is doesn't follow the manga then. And since I've been so long without exposure to the anime, it may be terribly out of character. I apologize in advance. But I hope you appreciate it, because just so you know, I'm supposed to work 'in the morning' and it actually technically morning already. 3:30 AM to be precise. I started typing at like 6:30 PM….the hell happened? Skip ahead to 10:30 AM, and I'm getting ready to actually post the story, lol.
Disclaimer: If you haven't figured it out by now, this is a fanfiction site. Therefore, the people posting as a general rule do not own the original material they are basing their stories off of. Or some less confusing version of that same idea. Like I said, it's 3:30 AM...sleep, I needs it. Along with stating that I have no claim to the characters, I once more remind you that I will most likely be ooc in places. I really think Harima is quite OOC in particular, especially towards the end. So sorry!
Operation: Eri
The more Eri passed her broom over the dusty linoleum floor, the more irritated she was becoming. Every sweep of bristles against tiles made it more evident that her fellow student was not going to appear for his turn on classroom cleanup course, what more could be expected from a irresponsible delinquent like Harima Kenji! There was a reason two students were supposed to share the duty after classes ended for the day. It made the work much easier. Not to mention the job went quicker when one had someone to speak with. Not that she had any reason to desire a conversation with Hige. After all, it wasn't as though she'd secretly been looking forward to spending the brief time they would be cleaning alone with him. And it certainly wasn't as though she actually enjoyed their moments together! But it was his job to help her, and he'd dumped all the work on her instead! Yes, that was the problem! She wasn't about to let him get away with it, even if she had to drag him back into the school by his stupid goatee!
Her mind made up, she leaned her broom and dustpan against the blackboard, making sure to slam them slightly as a demonstration of her irritation in case anyone happened to be passing by. If she knew anything about delinquents, or Harima in particular, it was that when they were ditching school duties they were most likely to be on the roof instead. That was where she intended to look for him first, anyway. Then, even if he wasn't there for some reason, she could get a look at the campus, and maybe see where he was. The rich girl balled her hands into angry fists and stormed off towards the nearest stairwell that would let out on the roof. Once she had made it all the way up to her destination, she made sure to slam the door open as loud as possible so that she was guaranteed to catch her prey's attention should he be there.
However, it would seem he was as deaf as he was stupid on this particular day, because despite her boisterous exit onto the roof, he remained oblivious. Very well then. Let him be distracted! All the more sweet when she snuck up behind him and scared him out of his wits, proving the tough thug to be nothing but a big old scaredy cat!
A malicious grin spread over Eri's features as she moved as smoothly and silently as possible, her hands folded innocently behind her. As she drew nearer to where he sat huddled in a corner of the roof, the heiress noted he was drawing. Well, now her curiosity was going to win out over her vicious streak. Tilting her head to the side, blonde pigtails tumbled against her shoulders as she peered at the sketchpad in her nemesis' lap. The ink etching looked familiar, and that familiarity caused her lips to turn down, and her brow to furrow as she cast her glance at the schoolyard below at the figure he appeared to be drawing his inspiration from.
Near one of the larger trees on the campus stood Tenma, but she was not unaccompanied. Rather she was conversing cheerily with the odd boy known as Karasuma. For whatever reason, ditzy Tenma had taken a liking to Karasuma, and Harima had taken a liking to Tenma. This didn't sit well with Eri, whose golden gaze shifted from the conversing pair far below them, back to the image being etched into the paper of the delinquent's sketchbook. There was a dull ache in the blonde's heart as she finally deemed to make herself known, though her tone came out much less harsh and biting than intended. Rather, it sounded a bit dull, and wounded, "You should focus on someone you stand a chance with, Hige…"
"Huh?" Eyes hidden by sunglasses were turned on the rich girl as the sketchbook was suddenly grasped tightly to Harima's chest in an effort to keep whoever had crept up behind him from seeing his work. His heart was thudding in his chest at the fact that he had been caught watching his love from the school roof, and even going so far as to draw her likeness! It was such a sappy thing to do, and he had his tough guy reputation, although he didn't want to be too tough for Tenma's tastes, but he still needed people in the school to fear him! The pounding of his pulse began to slow when he saw who it was, surprise turning to mild agitation. He still held his image to his chest, not wanting her to see, but he figured he might as well acknowledge her presence, which he did with a petulant reply, "I dunno what you're talking about."
"Oh please," She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips defiantly, pointing at the sketchpad in his grip, "I've been standing here long enough to see what you were working on!"
Harima grew pale at her directness, horrified at the fact that one of Tenma's friends had discovered his hobby of drawing his beloved, "I-it's not what you think!"
"Isn't it, Hige? Your being awfully detailed for a drawing of someone so far away…" Again her tone dropped off to sounding almost pained, "It's almost like you've memorized her face, as though you watch her…"
"No I don't, Ojou!" He knew he shouldn't deny his love for Tenma when confronted about it, it was wrong, it was a betrayal of his heart! But at the same time, he didn't want Eri running off and telling her friend about his feelings before he could do so himself!
"You did happen to notice she's not alone…" The heiress continued, giving no indication that she had taken notice of his denial, "She's gone through a lot to get Karasuma-san's attention. She won't give up now. Which means you should just move on...but…"
Harima was about to start a full on argument and actually defend his pursuit of his beloved, a full one-eighty from his former course. He would not give up on Tenma! There was always a chance she might choose him over Karasuma! The delinquent's mouth snapped shut, however when it seemed his foe was about to amend her statement.
Closing her golden eyes, Eri gave a heavy sigh, "But I guess I have no right to talk...since I can't take my own advice…"
"Huh?" Harima blinked in confusion behind the cover of his dark glasses. Did Ojou like someone? He'd never heard of such a thing. Perhaps the guy she loved didn't go to their school. Still, his pursuit of Tenma put him with the group of girls often enough that he should have overheard some mention of it. There was absolutely no chance the blonde would directly confide in him, of course. And he didn't want her too! Still, he found himself asking, "What're you talking about, Ojou?"
A blush blossomed on the rich girl's features as she looked away, trying to hide it. The young artist didn't miss the coloring of her cheeks, however...well, not entirely anyway. Something was off with her. She was acting strangely, "It's none of your concern, Hige. Like I said, I simply have to follow my own advice. As for you and Tenma...do what you think is best. But...don't come crying to me when your heart is broken because she chooses Karasuma."
With a whirl of pigtails, the blonde turned on her heel and broke into a run towards the door that would allow her sanctuary with the school once more. She didn't give Harima the scolding she'd intended, didn't drag him back to clean up the classroom with her. She didn't want him to help her anymore anyhow. If he followed her, he would only see her cry, and Sawachika Eri never cried. At least, not in front of any one. She didn't even plan to finish her part of the clean up. Staying on school grounds would only make her more likely to be seen, and since she couldn't seem to stop the tears, she couldn't risk it.
Harima had tried to shout after the blonde, tried to get her tell him what the hell was wrong. Some guy had obviously messed with her heart, and the delinquent couldn't help but think whoever the guy was had to be a complete jerk to play with a girl's emotions like that. Either that, or he was an idiot that didn't notice a girl cared about him. Eri never stopped to let him know who the guy was, or what exactly the situation was, though. She was through the door. He ran to the door as it swung closed, but she was already gone, having raced down the stairs at incredible speed and vanished onto the next flight down. With an agitated huff, and a shake of his head, Harima made his way back to the corner he had been watching Tenma from. Why the hell should he care about Ojou's private life anyway? Sure, she was sort of a friend, sometimes. But whatever her love problems were, she seemed to have made up her mind on how to deal with them. If she wanted to give up, that was her choice, but he planned to stick things out.
The young artist was just settling back into the position he had been seated in while drawing when he heard Tenma's voice. While her conversation with Karasuma had been quiet and inaudible from his vantage point, this cry of concern rang crystal clear across the grounds, immediately drawing his attention, not so much to his beloved, but to the person she was calling after.
"Eri?" Tenma blinked wide eyed as her friend raced past where she was standing having a quiet conversation with her crush. Blonde pigtails streamed out behind the rich girl, and the more ditzy student was certain of her identity in an instant. She was also certain something was very wrong. There was no reason for Sawachika Eri to be fleeing the grounds like that! Clumsy and non-athletic Tenma set chase anyway, murmuring an apology to Karasuma as she went, "Eri! What's wrong? You can't go yet, aren't you supposed to be cleaning the classroom with Harima?"
As he watched the scene unfold from his place on the rooftop, he knew that his beloved wouldn't be able to catch up to her friend. It surprised him though, and he could see even from here that it surprised Tenma as well, that the blonde didn't even acknowledge the other girl's efforts to address her. No shouted apologies about having to leave. No screams ordering the world to leave her alone. Nothing but the constant race to the gates, and then the figure vanishing into the distance. He frowned in confusion and irritation.
From his beloved's resounding attempts to stop Eri and speak with her Harima had concluded that he had been supposed to help with cleaning duty. He still wasn't used to that whole routine, and had forgotten about it, which was probably why Ojou had tracked him to the roof in the first place. But instead of asking him to help her, she had starting lecturing him about his apparently unrequited love, which had lead to her getting upset about guy she liked that didn't like her back. He got that she'd seen his drawing of Tenma, but what on earth made her decide to start commenting about romantic stuff? Seriously, they weren't even good friends, only casual acquaintances...maybe occasional friends at most. So it's not like she had a reason to be concerned over the possibility of his heart getting broken. And he had no concern over her heart either, so he should just stop thinking about it!
Girl's were complicated as hell though, because whatever had been going on her head, he didn't think she'd had time between coming to find him and running off to finish cleaning, which was apparently why she had come to find him in the first place. If the room didn't get cleaned, then both of them would get in trouble. He didn't care if Ojou got a lecture, but he didn't want to deal with Itoko if he got into hot water over not doing his duty. Frustrated, he let out a sound between a growl and a groan and tugged at his hair, "Gah! This is so unfair! Why couldn't she just drag me back to the classroom like she'd originally planned? Now I have to do all the work myself!"
Having vented his frustration, he climbed to his feet again. Tenma was in the schoolyard below, her friends gathered around her, and that weird Akira girl was focused on the roof for some reason even though Harima was sure she couldn't see him from down there. Either way, the girls were chatting for a few moments, probably about Eri's hurry to leave the school a few moments ago, and would depart shortly. When they all grouped together like that after their clubs and activities, it was a sure sign they were about to leave for the day. That meant the young artist had no reason to stay anyway, so he might as well go get the classroom cleaned. At least now he knew he wouldn't be leaving without getting to finish his Tenma drawing. Well, he would be, but he wouldn't have been able to finish it anyway, because she was leaving too.
"No, I'm really thinking about going this time…" Eri mumbled into her phone as she lay sprawled upon her bed, one arm draped over her forehead while she stared up at the ceiling, her other hand holding the cellphone a little too tightly in it's trembling grip as she pressed it against her ear.
"You've never been interested in these things before! You hate them! Why the hell would you start going now?" Mikoto demanded of her from the other end of the line, where she sat on the floor at the foot of her own bed, legs crossed with one hand gripping her knee firly to help her maintain her temper.
"Because...it doesn't matter anymore..." The blonde sounded so resigned, so unlike herself. It didn't escape her friend's attention for a second. Something serious must have happened.
"What are you even talking about Eri?" The other girl demanded, brows knitted together as she grew more concerned by the moment, "You're a fiercely independent woman! You hate the very idea of arranged marriage, let alone attending the meetings for one! You've been going on since you've found out about this latest one about how you were going to find a way out of it, and now, suddenly, you're okay with it?"
"Yes. I'm okay with it." The heiress wasn't sure whether she wanted to break down into tears once more, or start screaming at her nosy friend. After Tenma had told Akira and Mikoto about seeing her run from the school, the three had decided to call her. Tenma had called first, and though she was quite concerned, she was easily manipulated into believing that Eri was simply moody because her time of month was approaching. Akira called after that. The short haired girl could be rather intimidating, and downright frightening at times. But the heartbroken girl had refused to give quarter. It hadn't assuaged her friends curiosity, however. In fact, Akira had apparently been in contact with their remaining friend before the final call to Eri had been placed. Because Mikoto called with theories. It seemed that someone had remembered about the engagement meeting that was meant to happen after school tomorrow. Whether it was Mikoto herself, or if the idea had been suggested to her by Akira, she didn't know. But she would tell as close to the truth as she could. She had decided to go through with the meeting. In her present state of mind, she would likely accept the arrangement.
"Are you sure? Tenma said she thought you were crying when you ran out of school." The martial artist was persistent if nothing else. And, she'd saved her trump card, it seemed. Tenma and Akira had both mentioned that she'd seemed upset, but this was the first time anyone had said anything about noticing her tears. Eri cursed quietly at having been seen so emotional over anything, especially over him. Though she couldn't make out the words, her friend didn't miss the tone, which earned a raised eyebrow, "You don't seem okay with it...you seem angry or depressed or both. Tell me what's really going on."
A sharp, bitter laugh sounded from Eri's side of the line, a noise that quickly seemed to dissolve into muffled tears. Mikoto could only guess that the blonde was desperately trying not to let herself be heard crying, "I'm just tired...I'm done...I'm not going to wait…"
"Hmm? Wait for what?" The bluenette furrowed her brow deeper in confusion. What on earth was going on. With a soft tone, she encouraged her friend to continue, trying to make it clear in a single word that the rich girl could let out all her troubles, "Eri…"
"Waiting for what…" A loud sniffle was followed by a choked laugh as a pale hand began to tremble while holding the cell to the heiress' ear, "Waiting for Hi-...to be noticed."
Mikoto blinked wide eyed at the sudden revelation. Waiting for him. She had been about to say him, but she cut it off to a more general to be noticed. So, her friend had someone specific in mind that she wanted to be noticed by. That was news to her. Many boys paid attention to the blonde beauty. But apparently not the one she wanted. Trying to sound casual, and as though she hadn't already started putting the pieces together, the martial artist attempted to wheedle more information from her distraught comrade, "To be noticed? You are noticed, by alot of guys...or do you have someone in mind already?"
"It doesn't matter," Eri murmured for the second time in their conversation, "I don't want the attention from the guys who give it. And the attention I want, is given to other girls."
Hmm...so Eri liked a guy who liked or was in a relationship with someone else. That had to be hard. She would know. No, she wouldn't, she quickly reminded herself, because there was absolutely no way she had romantic feelings for her childhood friend and sparring partner. She just pitied him for his obviously unwanted attention to Yakumo. Hanai was such an idiot. Drawing a breath, Mikoto refocused on the issue at hand, "I see. The type of guy you like isn't interested in your type for some reason?"
"He's more interested in-" Quickly the response came to a halt. If she gave a specific name, then it would quite possibly become painfully obvious who she was pining for. She didn't want that. Then one of her friends would run and tell him, and he would pity her. She didn't want his pity. More than that, she didn't want his rejection. True, she already knew he didn't care about her, but at least with the course of action she'd chosen, she wouldn't have to hear it. Because she could imagine it all too well on her own, without it becoming real. His voice echoing in her mind, telling her that he was sorry, but he loved someone else.
"Who's he more interested in?" Mikoto couldn't help but grin inwardly at her small victory. Eri had inadvertently revealed that it was, as suspected, a single individual whose attention she was seeking. She wasn't about to point out the slip up, though, or crow about her successful prying. That would only lead to her friend retreating or hanging up all together. She couldn't let that happen.
A slow, shuddering sigh passed through the line as the blonde tried to think of how to get out of the situation without revealing exactly which individual was being granted her coveted attention. She should be general and vague, "He's more interested in my friends…"
Now the martial artist frowned slightly. Her friends? Well, let's see. That mostly limited it to Akira, herself, and Tenma. Yakumo and Sarah would sometimes spend time with their group as well, but she wasn't sure Eri would count them among her friends. So...there was Imadori, who paid attention mostly to Mikoto herself, but also chased girls with big boobs in general. Tenma was pursuing Karasuma, who seemed to be taking her obscure advance well if not overtly returning her affections. Hanai was constantly chasing Yakumo, the bluenette tried not to let herself become agitated at the thought. Most of the school was actually after Yakumo. Well, if Eri was counting Yakumo among her friends, that wouldn't limit the pool of guys much. Harima was always hanging around them...who did he like? There were a couple theories. Some thought he too was after Yakumo, other thought he might be after Tenma, and still others thought he wanted to pursue Eri herself. Well, in the case of the first two theories he might be a possibility. The third theory would rule him out, though, because Eri had made it quite clear she was uninterested in any of the guys that were currently interested in her. As for guys interested in Akira...was there such a thing? She was pretty sure her strong but silent friend intimidated most men.
"Mikoto?" Eri's soft voice cracked from spent tears. She wondered at the extended silence if she had lost her connection. For as much money as her parents spent on her top of the line cell, she hoped it could keep a signal! But, there was the possibility that it was her friend's phone that had dropped the call.
"I'm here. Sorry," The other teen replied quickly after being snapped out of her ponderings by the sound of her name. She wanted to help the rich girl, but wasn't sure how to proceed. Now that she had some potential candidates for just who the blonde's mysterious unrequited love might be, she should make certain to get in touch with Akira later. If anyone could hatch a successful plan on short notice, it was her, "Guess I started to doze off."
"Oh…" The heiress was a bit disappointed that her comrade could slip towards sleep while talking to her about a life crisis. But, she knew that Mikoto worked hard at school, and in the dojo. It made sense the girl would be tired, and in honesty, Eri was beginning to feel a bit drained to, if not physically then emotionally, "Yeah, I should get some rest too. I need my best beauty sleep for tomorrows meeting, after all."
"Eri…" There was a pause. No plan had been formed yet, but the bluenette knew that she had to try to stop her friend from doing something she'd only regret. And she was certain that the heiress would severely regret entering into an arranged engagement, "I know you're hurting...but don't do anything rash because of it, okay? Whoever this guy that doesn't notice you is, he's not the only one out there. And you don't have to run into an arranged marriage to get away from your feelings for him."
"Sure…" The blonde murmured, not sounding at all convinced. The man she wanted didn't want her at all, and every other man wanted her for her fortune. It didn't matter if the union was arranged or not. It would all be the same in the end, unless it was him. She knew he couldn't care less about things like wealth. That was part of what made him appealing. A small part, but still a part, "Goodnight, Mikoto."
"Just...just sleep on what I said, okay?" A final attempt to talk some sense into her on the part of her friend was met by silence. She sighed, "Goodnight, Eri."
As soon as the phone beeped to tell her that the call was ended, Eri placed her cell on her nightstand before rolling onto her side to face the opposite direction and curling into herself. She thought it would be terribly hard to sleep while her thoughts were being haunted by him, but the whirlwind of heartache and emotional turmoil had left her exhausted, and within a half an hour, she was in a fitful slumber.
On the other end of the line, Mikoto heard the tell tale sign that the connection had been broken. Though she had claimed tiredness, she could not sleep yet. She had to make another phone call first. Once more the martial artist accessed her contacts list, selecting a name near the top, and telling the phone to dial. It was a bit late, but she hoped her call would be answered. If it was, no matter how grumpy the person on the other end was, she would be forgiven once she explained why she was calling. And at least it was another cell, so she would hopefully not wake an entire household.
"Hello," A steady voice sounded as the call was picked up. Mikoto waited just a moment to respond. Sometimes it was hard to tell if she was speaking to the real person, or the answering machine, "Mikoto, I saw you on caller ID, what is it?"
The bluenette breathed a sigh. It wasn't the answering machine, "Hi, Akira. I have some information on Eri's situation. I think it's time we form a plan, and there's not a moment to spare."
"I see...should Tenma be involved?" Even as she asked, the stoic teen knew the answer. Tenma always meant well, but she could be an airhead. If this plan was urgent, and it seemed to be if her friends tone was anything to go by, then it was probably best not to waste time trying to explain to the Karasuma crazed girl. Besides, Akira had a theory that this might be a matter of the heart, which Tenma would have been thrilled to help with. Unfortunately, Tenma would only screw such a plan up. She had no sense of covert operations.
"It's probably for the best she not find out beforehand. This could be complicated." Mikoto admitted, scratching the back of her head.
"Alright. Explain." The short haired girl's reply was concise, leaving no room for rambling explanations, but begging instead for a clear and too the point detailing of the situation. Once this had been delivered on Mikoto's part, the situation having basically been boiled down to 'Eri likes a guy who likes one of us, and here's some of the possible guys,' a quick assessment was made before the solution passed through the phone with a grin from the speaker, "Leave it to me. The plan will be put into action tomorrow...if she hasn't decided not to go through with the meeting by lunchtime."
Harima made his way into class late the next day, missing homeroom entirely along with most of the first period. He yawned loudly as he slouched into his desk, not really paying attention to how the teacher was lecturing him to be on time from now on. Behind dark glasses his gaze shifted, but not to their usual first desired sight. Instead of drifting to and lingering on Tenma, his eyes landed and focused on Eri. Not that he had been worried about her after she ran out of school or anything. He was just checking to see if she had any kind of reaction to the clean classroom. That was all. And she damn well better have a positive reaction, because he'd done most of the cleaning himself after she'd raced off! But she didn't even seem to notice the state of the classroom, or anyone in it, or even the teacher who was resuming his normal lesson. Her golden eyes seemed fixed on some point out the window, if fixed was the right word. They weren't actually focused. They were sort of glazed over in fact, like she was present, but whatever made her function was elsewhere. He realized he was probably too late getting here to see any surprise regarding his getting the room clean anyway, nonetheless, he expected to see some sort of expression. Perhaps a wicked glare in his direction for being late and disrupting class. The delinquent shook his head before returning his focus to the front of the room, so confused that he forgot to stop and stare at Tenma as his gaze passed over her. Even he wasa smart enough to know something wasn't right.
Aside from the rich girl's strange lack of emotion the day seemed to pass normally. Imadori attempted to pounce Mikoto, who punched him in the head. Tenma absently doodled hearts with hers and Karasuma 's names in them. Yakumo came to give her sister a bento the older girl had forgotten to take when leaving the house, which Tenma thanked her exuberantly while Hanai lurked nearby waiting for his chance to declare his love for the younger girl. At some point Ichijou did something that reminded Imadori of how ridiculously strong she was, which sent him running across the room to take refuge in Mikoto's not-so-welcome bosom, for which he got sent flying for a second time as Ichijou sulked at her desk because she doubted she would ever get Imadori's attention. All in all, a pretty routine day. With the exception of Eri, who spent the whole day emotionlessly staring out of windows and pushing her lunch idly around with touching a bite, and Harima who didn't seem to notice the attention Tenma was paying to Karasuma as he himself was trying to figure out just what the hell was going on with the blonde.
Then, when lunch ended, Eri seemed to disappear. That's when the whispers began, murmurs that swept down the hall, from classroom to classroom and year to year.
"Did you hear about Eri…."
"Arranged marriages? I know people still do those, but here?"
"She's always turned them down hasn't she?"
"But this time she's had her heart broken…"
"Because he's in love with her friend, that's what I heard…"
"She's desperate, isn't she?"
Pretty soon everyone in the school was aware of what the vague truth was. Everyone but a certain obtuse delinquent. Of course, rumors had a harder time reaching him, since he tended to make some people a bit nervous.
Mikoto was getting nervous herself, not because of Harima, but because of the fact that word of Eri's situation had gotten out. When a break came between classes she quietly addressed Akira with her concerns, "How did they find out about this? Eri's gonna kill me when she learns word got out!"
Akira offered a small smirk in return. Upon seeing it a look of realization dawned on the martial artist's features, her jaw dropping as she hissed out, "You didn't!"
A single nod was all she got in reply from her crafty friend. The bluenette's expression shifted once more, this time to horror as she gasped in desperation, "This was your plan? She's going to kill us!"
"No she won't." Akira murmured with quiet confidence, smirking as she looked around at the gossiping students.
"What on earth does this even accomplish?" Mikoto snapped harshly with as little volume as she could manage while still getting her agitation across.
"Simple...the one she loves loves one of us." The response was calm and collected, just as the words that flowed from the master of this plan always were, "Now that the words is spreading, whoever she loves will probably recognize themselves as part of the rumor. Out of your possible suspect, I think we can eliminate anyone pursuing Yakumo or Sarah, they are more closely connected to Tenma and myself than Eri. That leave any guys who like you, me or Tenma."
Mikoto gave an understanding nod, silently mouthing the word, "Oh…"
Just as the explanation was drawing to an end, who should approach but the only person in the school who remained clueless about Eri's sudden absence. His sunglasses hid his gaze, which was definitely not filled with mild concern over the fact that the blonde who had been so upset the day before was missing now, and school wasn't even out yet. It wasn't like her to play hooky, after all, "Oi."
Akira and Mikoto turned their gazes toward the delinquent, each student bearing a matching arched brow expression. It was the ever stoic schemer who acknowledged the boy who had approached, "Harima…"
"What's going on?" His question was met with still confused faces. So much for being subtle, "Where'd Ojou disappear to? You're her friends, so you know, right?"
He wasn't going to bring up the fact that she might have done something stupid. He was sure they already knew how upset she'd been after school yesterday, how she'd gone running from the grounds. Tenma had told them. They didn't need to know he was involved at all, and telling them would only make them think he was actually worried.
The two friends he was addressing exchanged looks. Clearly Harima was even more dense than they'd thought, or just very outside the loop. By now, everyone knew what had happened. Mikoto was about to explain, but she lost her chance when a frantic Tenma came running over, "Hey! Did you guys already hear about Eri?"
Harima practically had a heart attack at the sudden voice of his heart's desire behind him. He whirled to face her, almost losing his disguise, but quickly pushing the sunglasses back into place. For an instant time seemed to stop. He should say hi, say something at least! What he found himself uttering was, "What about her?"
"Oh, hi," Tenma shifted her gaze briefly to the tall boy, noticing him for the first time as he spoke. Though she had come to talk to Akira and Mikoto, his question gave her grounds to launch into the rumor she'd heard, even if she was a bit late spreading the gossip, "Eri has an engagement meeting this afternoon! That's why she's not here right now. Her parent's are in the country, and they pulled her out of school early to get ready! I didn't believe it at first because she hates those meetings and would never go to one! But apparently she went willingly"
When the girl stopped for a breath, the only one hearing the news for the first time paused to process what he had learned so far. From what he knew about the rich girl, she would never agree to an arranged marriage, she'd find a way out of an engagement meeting unless she absolutely couldn't. What i n the hell was going on? This had to have something to do with their discussion on the roof.
His thoughts were disrupted as Tenma launched once more into the details of why her friend was missing, a worried frown creasing her brow, "I guess she's really hurt because the guy she loves, loves someone else...and not just anyone else either...she must be really upset. I know I would be if I found out that Karasuma loved one of you guys more than he loved me!"
Seconds ticked by after the girl had concluded her reasoning, the last sentence almost going ignored since it had clearly been addressed to the girls. She's upset because the guy she loves is in love with another girl, he knew that from yesterday. No new info there. But not just any other girl? What made the particular other girl so special? Was she some kind of archrival or something? Suddenly that last sentence seemed important for some reason, even though it hadn't been meant for him. Something about Karasuma and her friends, "Huh?"
"Hmm?" Tenma looked over at Harima as he furrowed his brow. Either he was confused, or worried. It could be hard to tell sometimes what he was thinking behind those glasses. Why did he wear sunglasses all the time anyway? Literally all the time. She never saw him without them, inside and even at night. It was kinda weird. She was so wrapped up in her tangent of thought that she almost missed his words.
"What was that last bit you said?" The crease in his forehead deepened. Something seemed very close all of a sudden. Like a light bulb just about to flicker on. He was missing something. Some small scrap of information.
"I said that I would be very hurt if Karasuma loved one of my friends more than me…" Tenma sounded sad as she spoke, just the thought of something so terrible broke her heart a bit.
Trying to ignore the fact that she was using Karasuma as an example, the dense student continued to rotate the puzzle pieces ever so slightly as he tried to fit them into place, "What does that have to do with Ojou's situation?"
Before Tenma could reply Mikoto broke in in an agitated tone. How long was Harima going to drag this explanation out, anyway? It had been perfectly clearly stated a couple times alreaday, could he be any more stupid? She heaved a sigh, trying to remain patient as she explained in terms he could hopefully understand while using gestures to indicate herself and her friends as required, "Eri is in love with guy, who is in love with one of us...Tenma, Akira or me."
"She's in love with Imadori?" The delinquent spoke the first argument his brain present, even though he knew on some level it wasn't right. True, Imadori had something of an obsession with Mikoto, or at least part of her anatomy. But he wasn't the only one in love with one of Eri's friends, as Harima clearly knew. His mind was trying desperately to block out the exchange on the roof at this point, because if paired with the evidence he had just been given…
"I doubt it," Akira reasoned, trying to think using the heires' logic, "He's not really in love with Mikoto, just the size of her chest. Besides, Eri doesn't usually care for perverts."
"Umm...then it's…" He had to think of someone. Who else was in love with one of Ojou's friends? Karasuma was too much to hope for, besides, even though he was cordial with Tenma, he'd never expressed an open interest in her. Like sketching her from the rooftops. And he doubted that the blonde went for weird guys like that anyway. So who else could it be? Someone that loved one of her friends...like I love Tenma...that she knew loved her friend...she knows now that she saw that drawing...that she found out about recently enough to push her into this meeting...is yesterday recent enough?...he blinked and frowned, furrowing his brow as he struggled to control the course of his thoughts, only to have them fight back...She went to get me for classroom cleaning, saw the sketch, lectured me about unrequited love and took off...yesterday on the roof...yesterday...no matter how hard he was subconsciously trying to push aside the memories, they came racing back. Harima tugged at his hair in frustration, "Ahhh…..shit!"
The three friends suddenly turned to look at Harima, who had gone strangely quiet for awhile before letting out a frustrated shout. Actually the whole class seemed to have stopped murmuring, and not just because the teacher had arrived to start the next session. Realizing that people were staring his way he lowered his volume, turning his hidden gaze directly toward the girl he'd been ignoring Eri for, "Tenma-chan, I'll have to make this up to you later, but where's this engagement meeting supposed to be at?"
Tenma blinked in confusion, not noticing the look that was exchanged between Mikoto and Akira. What was he going to have to make up to her exactly? And why was he suddenly so concerned about where Eri was? He liked Yakumo, right? Not either of her friends, so he certainly wasn't the one the rumors mentioned, "Why do you want to know?"
Resisting the urge to slap a hand to his face at her obtuseness, and fighting back the urge to hug her at how adorable that same trait was when it wasn't getting in the way of important matters, he tried to explain, and yet not explain. If he could get out of this without Tenma finding out about his feeling for her...he didn't want her to find out this way. She'd be mad at him for hurting her friend, and then he'd lose any chance! But, he'd already lost his chance, hadn't he? That was what Ojou was telling him on the roof yesterday. She was begging him to give up pointless pursuits and turn around to see her instead. That was so much easier said than done, though! "I...I need to know where she is. Ojou...I think I know who she's in love with. I might be able to help."
"You know who she loves?" Tenma gasped with eyes sparkling slightly. Wait...how did Harima know? She wasn't likely to have confided in him. Oh, but maybe one of the guys in the class had told him something. She wanted to ask him more and find out who the mystery guy was, but helping Eri was more important!
While her friend was trying to get her priorities straight, Akira held a slip of paper out to Harima, grasped gingerly between her index and middle fingers. Just a small square of yellow paper that had been folded in half, "It's a bit of an upper scale restaurant. This is the address. I have a contact in the kitchen, they should be able to get you in. Look for a red haired chef with a high ponytail. Mention my name, and Operation: Eri."
The remaining two girls out of the group of friends turned to stare in awe at Akira. She was always so prepared. And when the hell had this become a full scale named operation, anyway? The delinquent didn't take time to wonder such things as he quickly grabbed the information with a nod and took off toward the door.
As he raced toward the room's exit the teacher cried out in vain, "H-hey! Harima, you came in late today! You can't just cut out early! Besides there's only one class left!"
The poor instructor didn't even get to finish his reprimand as the boy blew past him and out of the class with a shout of, "Sorry, Sense, gotta run!"
Chaos erupted in the room as the students leapt from their seats and pressed their way towards the window, waiting for him to emerge onto the grounds and make his escape. Once more the room was filled with murmurs.
"This he's the guy?"
"Eri's unrequited love?"
"Bet he's gonna stop the meeting…"
"A thousand yen says he's not in time…"
"Deal!"
As he thundered down the hall, the other rooms were having similar reactions, students migrating first towards the doors to see who was racing down the hall, then when someone shouted out that it was Harima, they surged to the windows, waiting for him to emerge from the building, and wagering on whether he was the mystery guy, and what the outcome of the day would be.
As he ripped past the teacher's lounge, Itoko was just emerging with a cup of coffee, not having any classes during that last period, apparently. She blinked at the familiar blur that almost caused her drink to spill before shouting at her younger cousin, "Kenji! Where are you going?"
"No time, Itoko! Gotta save the day!" He hollered back as he burst through the doors and into the schoolyard, not even giving the woman time to scold him for not addressing her properly in school. As he raced into the sunlight, there seemed to be a sudden outcry, a loud chanting that rained down from above. It hardly slowed him, but he did take the time to register the repitition of his name, "Harima! Harima! Harima!"
Scattered among this mantra were shouts that arose from the classroom he had departed only moments ago, male voices mostly. He recognized a few, others he could not place.
"Hey, you have to let me know if I guessed right!" Imadori voice echoed in his ears, and caused the blood to rush to his face when he realized just what guess he was supposed to confirm. That damn pervert and his hobby of guessing cup sizes!
"Best of luck!" That shout was almost tearful, and out of his peripheral he could have sworn he saw a weeping Hanai waving him bon voyage with a handkerchief he'd grabbed from somewhere or other. Of course Hanai would be thrilled. He for some reason believed Harima was after Yakumo. But the whole handkerchief thing was a bit extreme.
He could feel the steady gazes of others on him, though their voices did not sound. Akira, he supposed, possibly Mikoto. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed that the silent stare of Karasuma was following him toward the gate. As he set foot outside the grounds and looked at the address on the paper before taking off in the right direction, he distinctly heard a voice among the others that shattered any remaining hope as Tenma cried loud and clear, "Good luck, Harima! You can do it!"
Everyone was rooting for him to get the girl. Hell, he wasn't sure he wanted the girl. She wasn't the girl he'd always dreamed off, after all. The only thing he did know, was that he had to stop her from doing something she'd regret because of him. And in his heart, he could feel a bit of the desperation she must have felt the day before. He knew now...he stood no chance with Tenma. So the cheering seemed in vain...
As the retreating form of Harima Kenji vanished into the distance, the cheering began to die down. It took a while to get the students fully reigned in, though, as excited chatter continued to ripple through their numbers. The school was abuzz. Harima was the mystery guy that Sawachika Eri loved...so which of her friends did he love then? Clearly they were using friends in a more broad form than had first been expected, some reasoned, because wasn't Harima supposed to love Yakumo? No, others said, he'd actually been in love with Eri all along, so the whole thing must have been a horrid misunderstanding. That ridiculous, another faction argued, he was clearly infatuated with Tenma, if you watched closely you could tell even from behind the sunglasses that he was always staring at her!
Imadori relaxed back at his desk, letting out a sigh, "So it was Harima, huh? Kinda a relief. I was worried it would be me! I would hate to come between friends. Besides, Eri-chan might have a pretty nice chest, but Miko-chan will always have the be-"
He was cut off as Mikoto nailed him in the back of the head with a the hard edge of her textbook, which she had successfully hurled across the room without hitting anyone else in the process. Meanwhile, in the back corner of the class, a very self conscious Ichijou cast a mournful glance at her own lacking bust and sighed.
Akira slowly made her way from the window after the rest of the students had already returned to their places. Settling into her seat, she offered a victorious smirk to Mikoto, who almost didn't notice as she was still glaring at Imadori while he clutched the back of his throbbing head. Noting that the bluenette seemed a touch distracted, the schemer cleared her throat.
A furious gaze was torn away from the perverted male and turned amused somewhere on its course to settle on her friend before the martial artist teasingly rolled her eyes and spoke the phrase she knew was on the other girls mind, "I know, I know. 'I told you it would work.' Right?"
Impressed with Mikoto's impersonation of herself, Akira simply nodded. She'd had a suspicion all along the guy in question might have been Harima. The best way to draw him out, though, was not a direct confrontation, and certainly not without proof. She'd needed a more subtle approach. And obviously, guilt had done the job perfectly.
From a nearby seat a clueless Tenma chimed in, "Wait...what worked?"
Harima was gasping for breath when he arrived at the restaurant. As he doubled over by the kitchen entrance, hands on his knees, he had an epiphany. He...was an idiot. And not just because of the whole mess with Ojou. His bike had been in the school's parking lot. Why the hell had he run all this way when he could have ridden his damn motorcycle? Taking one last gulp of air, he reminded himself that there would be time for a self scolding later. Right now, there was a mission. On the slip of paper, along with the address, had been a brief set of instructions. Some in case he forgot what he had been told, which he might just have done considering he forgot his damn bike, and some that he hadn't been given verbally. Such as an apparently secret knock that would alert Akira's contact that it was indeed the guy Eri loved at the door.
Unfolding the paper, he looked at the instructions. Knock twice quickly, three times slowly, pause, once slow, two quick. That seemed a bit...drawn out and complex. Kinda complicated for a simple guy like him, but he could do it!
Knock-knock….knock...knock...knock…...knock-knock
And, miraculously, the door swung open! Blocking his way in was a tall redheaded woman, her soft looking locks swept into a high ponytail, just as Akira had described. The female chef eyed him warily, and in a slightly foreign accent, one which he could not place, she questioned with a bit of harshness, "Can I help you?"
"Akira sent me…" Harima explained quickly, feeling his face begin to heat up as he remembered that he would have to let the woman know exactly what he was here for and not just who had sent him. It was bad enough to have to admit that he was here chasing after a girl...worse to admit that he had driven her into an engagement meeting she didn't actually want. Yet he knew that if Akira had made the arrangements, this woman was sure to know the details of what was going on...aside from who she was waiting to lead to Eri's table of course. The chef continued to stand at her post, one hand propping her up against the door post, the other planted firmly on her hip as she elevated a brow at him, waiting for him to finish, "Oh, uh...I'm here for Operation:Eri."
At this, the lady nodded, turning around and walking back into the kitchen, gesturing that he should follow. Once he had stepped inside, she shut the door behind him. Instantly his nose was flooded with delicious smells far too decadent for him to ever identify. He doubted he could afford this place if he saved up the income from his manga sales for a year! Once more the redhead started walking, raising a finger to her lips to indicate he should be quiet as he followed. Of course he listened.
As the approached the twin doors the provided access to the main restaurant, she stopped again. One door was clearly meant to be used to enter the kitchen, and the other meant to exit the kitchen. The chef poked her head out during a lull in traffic through the out door to make certain things were mostly clear, then ushered him into the small alcove that held the tray stands and other serving implements. From the shadows of this darkened alcove, with its deep purple carpet and walls painted to match, he could scan the establishment while being mostly out of the way. It was a ritzy place alright. He would never fit in the way he was dressed. He wore his interpretation of the school uniform, clearly a more delinquent look. The wait staff wore dress slacks in black, white dress shirts, violet cumberbunds, the works! And of course, the customers were dressed even nicer than that. It was no longer Ojou had gone home early to prepare. Was she even here yet?
As if she had read his thoughts the chef spoke, indicating a table in a more private section of the restaurant, "Her family is over there, along with her potential fiance's family. I do hope you're ready."
He wasn't. He had no idea what the hell he was supposed to say to her that would make her change her mind. He couldn't exactly run up, sweep her off her feet and declare his undying love to her, it wouldn't be right. He'd just realized that the love of his life would never return his feelings. Even if he knew somehow in that instant that he love Ojou, saying at a time like this would make her feel second rate. He knew he would feel that way if Karasuma broke Tenma's heart and she came running to him on the rebound. Unconsciously Harima clenched his fists at his side, palms sweating with nervousness, and gulped down his anxiety, "How am I supposed to get close? I kind of stand out."
"I have a plan for that." The woman chef smiled warmly at him, "Have you ever considered becoming an apprentice chef?"
"Huh?" He'd never thought of becoming a chef, and he wasn't sure why she brought something like that up now, when there was definitely something more important to talk about. Though the conversation was continuing between the two in the alcove, the delinquents gaze lingered on the gathering that Eri was a part of. He could see her seated at a long table that was partly obscured by the privacy of their little offshoot room. Across from her was a Japanese woman, he knew Eri was half Japanese...maybe that was her mother? Beside Eri was seated a young Japanese man, perhaps a few years older than themselves, roughly college age. He had a short ponytail, as in barely existent, but looked rather clean cut besides that. Evidently, that was the intended fiance. Across from him was another Japanese woman, probably his mother. What he couldn't see, were the fathers. He guessed they were seated at the ends of the table, which were hidden by the walls. The small offshoot was almost the entire way across the restaurant. How on earth did she plan to get him there?
As he was analysing the situation, the redhead was shaking her head. Akira had warned her the boy who arrived might end up being slightly dense, if he was who the she thought he was. And apparently he was exactly who Akira thought he was, because this boy couldn't take subtleties at all, could he? She sighed softly, "Allow me to be more direct: You will pose as my apprentice. If we get to the table unnoticed, then all is well. If one of the other staff demands to know who you are, we switch tactics, and you become a boy inquiring about how to become my apprentice who I am walking through the restaurant with in an effort to find my supervisor, clear?"
"Ah…" Harima gave a small nod as she explained very thoroughly, "Sort of."
The sigh this time carried more exasperation than anything, "Just follow my lead. Once we reach the Sawachika party, however, it is up to you."
The delinquent could do that much, he supposed. Well, at least the part where he had to follow her lead. He still had no idea what he was going to do about actually getting Eri out of the meeting. Another nervous swallow was given as he nodded once more before following the chef out of the alcove and towards the offshoot room where Eri's family was located. It looked like they hadn't eaten yet. The blonde girl, who looked to be wearing a gown, though he couldn't make out any details since her back was too him, had water. Everyone else was drinking wine. That meant this would be fiance was legal to drink. As he'd thought, older.
Though Harima's appearance earned him plenty of strange looks, and whispered objections, no one made a fuss over his presence there. After all, if he was with a legitimate employee, he must be allowed, right? He looked like an absolute hooligan, a hoodlum, but perhaps he had a connection to the chef, or one of the owners? Now wouldn't that be a scandal! He could sense the eyes on him as they traversed the room, and his own gaze narrowed behind his dark glasses. He felt like he could use a fight all of a sudden. Maybe because of the judging stares, the whispered accusations. Not that the thoughts running through the rich patron's minds were entirely false. He was a delinquent, after all. He didn't belong in a place like this. The sooner he got Ojou out, the better.
Finally they reached the archway that led separated the offshoot from the restaurant proper. He stood in silence, taking in the scene, the stares from the mothers of the potential couple, the worried looks from the fathers who, as he had guessed, sat at the ends of the table nearest their respective families. He shifted a sidelong glance at the chef, but she was gone already. Had she even been seen by the families? His eyes snapped back to the party seated before him, the direction of his focus hidden by his glasses. He could see the worry on the parents' faces increasing the longer he stood there in silence. He saw the girl with her back to him stiffen in her seat. She could tell from her father and mother's expressions that something wasn't right. Her potential fiance tensed as well.
The college age boy was the first to turn and face him, eyes narrowing as they were met with the suspicious sight of a misplaced delinquent, "Who are you, and what do you want?"
A nervous laugh sounded from the boy's father, who was as Japanese as his mother. It was clear from the way the man flicked his gaze over Harima's frame that he was looking for some hidden weapon, expecting the high schooler to pull a switchblade or something, "Now, now, son...he might be a perfectly kin-"
The businessman never got to finish speaking his thoughts to his son, however. At that moment, Eri, who had been cautiously, slowly shifting in her seat to see what was going on, had caught the edge of a reflection in the window. Spurred on by a glimpse of recognizable features, she whipped around to face the intruder with a shocked gasp, "Hige? What on earth….how did you….what are you…."
The table of people, and most of the restaurant to be honest, turned their sights on the heiress as she stammer to find appropriate words. Once her voice failed, and her mouth began to open and close like a fish out of water, however, the gazes trickled their way back to Harima, causing him to shift uneasily, "Ojou…I...uh…."
The man sitting at the end of the table narrowed a golden gaze that matched his daughter's, "A boy from school I take it?"
"U-umm…" Eri wasn't quite certain how to explain her relationship with the delinquent to her family, especially given the fact that he was crashing her engagement meeting, "He...umm…"
"What do you want?" Her potential fiance snapped again, evidently sensing a threat, if not physical than to his pride. He hadn't missed the strange way the two were looking at each other. They were more than mere acquaintances.
"I...I uh...I needed to…" With the eyes of the entire restaurant on him, especially the gaze of those at the table in the offshoot, particularly a certain pair of golden eyes belonging to a particular heiress, Harima was feeling more nervous than he had ever felt before. It was like stage fright almost. He was being watched. By everyone, but most importantly her family. He knew she loved him, regardless of his own feelings. If he ever was able to leave his love for Tenma behind and fill the hole in his heart with new love, he would need this family's approval. Suddenly, as though instinct had taken over, the delinquent bowed at the waist as formally as he could manage. It was a little rough around the edges, and not at all well practiced, but he hoped it would pass, "My name is Harima Kenji. And I am in your daughter's class at school, Sawachika-san. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to her. It's something that really couldn't wait."
Eri could feel her cheeks heating up as the people around the table exchanged glances and murmurs trickled through the rest of the building. While it had been impressive that Harima had managed to get all the out in one breath, it was utterly humiliating that he was causing a scene! As the bowing boy finally began to stand straight once more, she shot an apologetic look to her family and their guests, "I am so sorry. I really can't imagine what's gotten into him!"
"Oj-" Harima began to call him by his nickname for her, but cut himself off, realizing it was probably inappropriate at the moment. He knew she wouldn't be able to see the sincerity in his eyes behind his glasses, and was tempted to take them off. That was something he wasn't quite ready for yet, even if it was for Ojou, and not for Tenma. She would have to hear the sincerity in his voice instead, "Eri-san, please. I only need a moment of your time. I think you know what this is abou-"
"Daddy, can I just have a moment?" The blonde girl offered another apologetic smile, first at the father that had given her the majority of her appearance, then at the rest of the tables occupants. She knew that Harima would have continued had she not cut him off, and there was no telling what he'd actually say. Hopefully he'd be vague about it, if it really was what she thought. But her father and his business associates could be very shrewd. Besides, there was no telling with Hige. She wasn't certain he was even capable of subtlety.
There was nothing for the delinquent to do but wait for her father to allow them the chance to speak. Eri was willing, it seemed, but required her father's approval. Again, the young mangaka shifted awkwardly in the silence as he was scrutinized carefully be the patriarch of his classmate's family. He could sense the disdain coming from the other end of the table, the mild glares cast his way by the possible fiance and his parents, and was certain they would be looks of utter loathing had such been deemed as proper etiquette.
After a period of silent consideration that seemed to take forever, Eri's father offer a small nod, waving his daughter off, dismissing her from the table if only for the time being, "Don't take long, Eri. We still haven't finished our discussion. And I am certain everyone at the table is eager to know how things will be settled."
As soon as the nod was given and she was dismissed, the heiress was out of her seat and facing Harima. She froze in place as her father began to address her, though fortunately her back was to the man and he couldn't see her grimace at the notion of continuing the engagement negotiations, "I won't be long, I promise. Thank you, Daddy."
And with that, the blonde began to navigate her way through the restaurant. Her course left her companion a bit confused, though. They weren't heading for the front entrance, nor for the kitchen door. His unasked inquiry was answered when they came to the rear of the establishment, and a set of French doors that opened onto a large cobblestone patio. Harima moved to open the doors, in a fancy place like this that was the right thing for a guy to do. And Eri smiled in appreciation as she stepped out into the light of the setting sun. It would be a good place for a private talk, since it seemed the patio wasn't being utilized by any diners at the moment. Following her out, Harima let the door shut quietly behind them and crossed to where she stood at the far end of the cobblestones, leaning against a thin metal railing.
This was the first chance he'd gotten to actually look at her in her gown. It was a flowing silver that draped gently against her form, cascading around her curves and accentuating them nicely. A bit of beading lined the bust, nothing too extravagant, just a touch of floral decoration. The sleeves were slim things that barely hung off the shoulders, leaving her entire neck and collar area exposed. Silver gloves hugged her arms, stretching from her fingers to just above her elbow. As if this weren't all lovely enough on its own, cast it in the glow of a setting sun and the silver began to dance as though it held a living fire. Harima's breath hitched in his chest.
"What did you want to talk about?" Eri asked, trying to sound dull and uninterested, attempting to act as though she had no idea what he might want even as her heart was pounding in her chest. He knew. That was the only thing it could be. This thick headed idiot had somehow made the connection between their encounter on the roof and her real feelings, and he was here to talk to her about that. She never should have even mentioned anything to him! She should have just forced him to help clean the classroom like she'd planned, and everything would have been fine!
Lifting her golden gaze from where it had been focused on the cobblestones at her feet, she couldn't help but notice that his expression seemed off...well, what she could see of it around his perpetual sunglasses. Was he staring at her? Gawking at her? She shifted uneasily, and tried again to start the conversation, "Hige? You wanted to talk to me...what about?"
The use of his nickname seemed to grab his attention, as he quickly swiveled his head and looked awkwardly at the glowing horizon. Now he had to figure out just how to broach the subject without making things too awkward, "Uh...yeah...I just..um...Look, you were right yesterday."
At his words, Eri drew a sharp breath. It wasn't the way she had expected him to approach it, not his normal bold headstrong attitude. But it was the topic she had known he would want to discuss. He hadn't made any specific reference to her though, at least not yet. So maybe he hadn't made the connection between the two unrequited loves? She let her hands slide over the metal rail behind her as she spread her arms and leaned back some, her gloves gathering dust, though she didn't care, "That's good. I'm usually right, so I'm glad you realized it."
A glance was cast her way from his peripheral, though she probably wouldn't notice. He tried not to smirk at her usual display of cockiness. Typical Ojou, even in an awkward situation. His sideways look lingered as she leaned back, curving her body slightly as she regarded the fading light overhead. He would allow her the one moment of cockiness, it would be a shock to her, he was sure, and he actually looked forward to her reaction, "Maybe...but usually isn't always, and there's one thing you've got all wrong."
At first her eyes widened as she looked at him in surprise. He was giving her points for usually being right? Normally a comment like that would start them bickering, not be met with agreement. Ah, but there was a catch. She had something wrong at the moment as well, "Hmm...and what is that, Hige?"
"This whole damn arranged marriage thing." The conversation was slightly less awkward if they kept away from their own relationship, he realized. Keep it to discussing the mistake of arranged marriages. Don't bring up her feelings for him, or his epiphany regarding Tenma. Don't mention his consideration of the fact that maybe, someday, she could fill the holes her friend had left in his heart. That could come later, more naturally, less forced.
"Is that so?" Eri mused, raising a brow before lifting her face to the fading light of the heavens once more, "I don't know...these seem to be the only offers I get...even when the matches aren't arranged, anyone interested is only looking at me for my families money...or a way into my father's business. Sometimes...it's easier to accept fate than fight it."
Behind his glasses, Harima winced as he turned to fully look at his classmate. She was going to force the conversation in that direction. Towards his thoughts on her. She knew he wouldn't be able to talk about any other guys ideas regarding an interest in her, so that left his own. And he'd be honest. She should know that by now. He wasn't about to lie or mislead her. With a shrug, he made an effort to deflect the question, "It can't be all that bad. Not every guy in the world is driven by greed."
"Just the ones I've met…" She cooly replied, lowering her gaze to his, somehow managing to find his eyes even through the tinted glasses, "And any that aren't greedy, aren't interested in me."
This time he flinched. That was a direct strike, she meant him, and he knew it. She was calling him out, challenging him to deny her statement. But again, the only experience he had to speak from, was his own, "I don't know...maybe...I mean, some things can...well…"
Eri watched him carefully as he seemed to struggle for a comeback. He wasn't usually this clumsy when they were bantering. Looking back on the time they'd spent together, he acted like this when he was embarrassed, which mostly happened when trying to avoid misunderstandings with Tenma. Her gaze remained leveled on him, trying to send him a clear indication to continue.
This was hard. The saying goes that love can blind a person or something like that, but he just couldn't make himself say it. Saying it would have two very negative effects. It would drive home to him the point that there really was no hope with Tenma, and it would remind her that she had been overlooked for her friend. But it had to be said, didn't it? To make things clear, it had to be said. To answer her challenge, it had to be said. He sighed heavily before pushing forward, "Somethings can keep people from seeing what's right in front of them."
"Interesting…" She remarked, her tone indicating that she wished him to elaborate further. Oh, the heiress knew full well that he was referring to Tenma. Now she wanted to see where he'd go with it.
"For crying out…" He sighed again, cutting off his own grumbles of protest as he tried to think of ways to explain further, "Like getting focused on something you want, and not seeing that there's something else thats good, or maybe better out there."
He was dancing around it. He was avoiding applying his theories to love. Even more so with this latest attempt than the previous one, and Eri could see it clearly. What she couldn't see so clearly was the end of the winding path of babbled words. He was saying Tenma had blinded him to her own affections. Alright. She got that. There had been a bit earlier where he told her she was right, from which she inferred he'd given up on Tenma. And he seemed to most recently have said that because he was focused on loving Tenma, he'd not seen her own love, which was good or better than Tenma's. Add it up, and it seemed to equal an offer to return her love. But that didn't work for her. Eri wasn't just a rebound, "But good and better things...they don't always last long enough for you to find them, Hige."
Harima's face folded into a frown. That sounded an awful lot like a rejection. It wasn't like he'd confessed though. He'd been trying to explain the conclusions he'd come to, but he hadn't told her he loved her or anything. And he wouldn't tell her he loved her, because he didn't know yet if he could. The delinquent was known for being dense, he needed to have things laid out plainly for him more often than not. Perhaps this time, he was the one who needed to lay things out plainly for someone else, "So you're saying what? All that stuff on the roof last night...you're telling me that wasn't some final cry to be noticed? Because honestly, if you wanted to give up and do something as stupid as agreeing to marry some guy you don't know just because your parents tell you to, that's your business. But the fact you tried to drag me down with you...that tells me one of two things. Either you're a bigger bitch than I ever thought, or you were trying to get me to look your way for once."
So much for dancing around the subject. No more metaphors or whatever he had been using before. Eri's face was growing hotter by the second as he spoke about the encounter on the roof, and in very direct terms. And for the second time in as many days, her eyes were starting to sting because of this man! She wished she could just disappear into the ground. Instead she spun around in a flurry of her silver gown as the darkness began to set in more quickly, the moon and stars providing what light they could, and leaned against the rail again, this time facing away from Harima, hiding her blush, and the shimmering threat of tears, "So maybe I'm a bitch."
"Except I don't think you really are…" The tone that had sounded so harsh in its words a moment ago now spoke to her gently, "I think it's the second option...you just want to be looked at."
She wasn't sure whether she was more hurt, or furious. To hear him, of all people, say such things. It was ridiculous! Her gloved hands curled into fists that pressed hard against the railing. She wanted to cry, but she knew she couldn't. Not with him there, and not with the meeting waiting for her to return inside, "I don't want to be second best, Hige. I won't...I won't be a rebound."
Before he could even attempt an answer she spun around again, head held high as she moved toward the French doors, "Now, I have to get back to the engagement meeting. You should get going."
As she tried to pass her classmate, two bold moves were made at once. First, he reached out and gripped the blonde by her elbow, preventing her from leaving. Second, his free hand reached up and removed the dark glasses that hid his eyes from the world, allowing the to see them in an attempt to show her the honesty and sincerity he hoped resided within them, "Ojou, wait."
"Let go, Hige!" She started struggling against his grip, her gaze locked onto the spot where he held her elbow. He was strong though, and not about to let her leave until he'd had his say. A sharp, yet not too hard, tug at her arm demanded her to look at him. And with a glare she whipped her face towards his, only to meet his actual eyes. Her golden gaze widened in surprise as it was captured and held by his dark one.
"I want you to listen, Ojou." His tone was firm, but not cruel, pleading, but not desperate. And the look in his eyes...honesty...like he was letting her see straight into his soul, revealing a part of him he'd never shown to anyone. How could Eri do anything other than nod. She would listen. His grip on her loosened, but did not release, he wouldn't release her until he had spoken his piece, "Good."
Harima drew a deep breath to calm himself, letting it out in a low long sigh. He took care not to breath in her face, but he never let his stare waver from her eyes, "I didn't mean to hurt you. That's the first thing I want to make sure you understand. We're friends...right? I mean, for the most part, I hope."
All she could do was offer another nod. She knew he hadn't hurt her on purpose. He had been in love with Tenma, and had never even known how Eri felt, so how could he have intended to hurt her? It didn't take away the pain though. Still it was nice to know that he at least thought of her as a friend, "Right."
"Good." He smiled slightly, glad that that was something they could agree upon. Now for the slightly more awkward part, "I definitely don't want you to be a rebound either. That wouldn't be fair to you. Hell, if a good for nothing delinquent like me deserves to be loved, you definitely do too."
At that, Eri blushed softly, still unable to look away, wishing she could tear her gaze from his long enough to keep him from seeing the change in color brought on by his words.
"Unfortunately," He saw her features fall at that word, and took extra care to make sure he held her golden gaze, "Hey, don't get ahead of what I'm saying, Ojou. What I was about to say was: Unfortunately, I can't be the one to love you right now."
She could feel her eyes stinging again, even as he told her to listen to everything before reacting to his words. Unfortunately, if you started a sentence with unfortunately, it could only be a rejection that followed. He must have seen the way her eyes shined with building tears, tears that she couldn't let fall. Then, he caught her completely off guard by ending his statement with two words that definitely didn't sound like a rejection. Right now. Not only had he used those words, he emphasised them! He was implying something, and she almost dared to hope that it was his way of saying he would try to one day return her feelings.
"Still listening, Ojou?" He offered an amused, yet patient expression as he watched the emotions shift over her features, finally settling on anxious hope. She was worried that she hoped falsely, he could tell, but she still dared to hold tight. Slowly Eri nodded, and he continued speaking jerking his head in the direction of the French doors, "You agree to that engagement, there's no guarantee of love. I can't guarantee I'll ever love you, but I can try. So, I guess in the end their no real difference...except…"
It was Harima's turn to frown slightly as he seemed to lose the point he was trying to make. What exactly was the difference. She had no guarantee of being loved either way. He would try. That was all he could do.
Except," Eri's voice chimed in where his had left off, causing him to blink down at her, finally breaking eye contact long enough for her to glance at the cobblestones instead of him, "If I chose to let you try, instead of agreeing to the engagement, then there's a chance of happiness with the one I love."
And Harima once again got a turn, this time for blushing. His face slowly began to grow warmer, the reaction to her actual confession remaining mostly hidden thanks to the onset of night, and his darker complexion. She'd actually told him she loved him, which was more than he'd heard from a girl before. He'd hoped to one day hear it from Tenma. But, it was good to hear it from Eri, a confession of love. His stomach seemed to flip flop, and he hurried to slide his glasses back into place, hoping their darkness would hide some of his flustered state, "Yeah, that's what I wanted to say…"
With that cool recovery, he released Eri's elbow. The blonde smirked as she continued to look at the cobble stones. He wasn't fooling anyone with his sunglasses and attempt at seeming nonchalant. She knew he was embarrassed. He'd never gotten a love confession before, most likely. The heiress folded her gloved hands behind her, still refusing to look up at him, "I don't want you to push yourself to feel something you don't. I won't be a rebound, but I can wait. So, we'll be friends for now, I guess...but, I love you, so...keep that in mind."
It was a relief to hear her say that she was willing to wait for him to sort out his feelings. She would wait for him to really get over Tenma if he could, and fill the holes left by her, if possible, with Eri's love. Of course, no sooner had he had the thought, than she was offering a verbal reminder of her confession, causing the heat to rise in his features again, "Yeah, I'll remember. Thanks…"
"Of course, Hige." She glanced up at him through her lashes, the last vestiges of her shyness before squaring her shoulders and offering him a confident grin, "Anyway, I suppose I should get back in there. I have an engagement to refuse."
She started for the French doors, with Harima trailing behind her. An unexpected stopped caused the boy to bump into her, and he quickly grabbed her wrist to steady her, "Geeze, Ojou...what's with the sudden stops?"
"You probably shouldn't go back inside." He gave her a confused look, and she rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh, "Think for once. Someone snuck you in, I'm assuming. Which probably means Akira's involved in this whole thing...I'll deal with her later...anyway, they won't have as much luck sneaking you out. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that our conversation had something to do with me declining an engagement I was planning to accept before we left the room! Besides, I think we've been away more than the few moments we promised my father. He won't be happy."
A slow nod was given as Eri's reasoning settled into place, and Harima had to agree with it. He smirked as it seemed to occur to the blonde for the first time, or at least she mentioned it for the first time, that Akira played a role in the events of the night, "Yeah, I guess it would be a good idea to avoid going back in, huh?"
The two glanced around for a moment, a brief period of awkward silence passed on the pretext of looking for an escape, even though the only route was obvious, "Well, guess I'll just have to climb over the railing then."
"I guess you will." Eri responded, smiling up at him. He wasn't her boyfriend...not yet. Just a friend who knew she was in love with him. They would get to know each other better, and while they did, he could figure out his feelings for her. But God help her if she wasn't tempted to place a peck against his cheek in gratitude for at least trying. Instead she gave one last grin, and a small wave before turning back to the French doors, turning once she was inside the restaurant and watching him climb over the railing and disappear into the night. When he was gone, she returned to the offshoot where her family was sitting with their guests.
"A brief word, hmm?" Her father chided with an arched brow.
"Ah, sorry." Eri smiled charmingly as she sank into her seat with an air of grace, "We were chatting about schoolwork…"
"That's what couldn't wait?" Her potential fiance question, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"He can be most impatient." She offered politely in reply, sipping from her glass of water.
Silence fell for a moment or two, though it seemed to last an awkward lifetime. Then her father cleared his throat before getting back to the purpose for their meeting, "Anyhow, back to the details of the engagement…"
"Actually," Eri chimed in softly, pushing some of the extravagent cuisine that had arrived and grown cold while she was talking with Harima around on her plate, "I'm afraid I must decline the engagement."
As the sputtered indignities that followed seemed to echo through the restaurant, a certain redheaded chef peeked out from the alcove. Eri was bearing a lecture from her father, looking like she might just walk away at any second. The college age man she had been discussing marriage with appeared to be throwing a tissy while his parents attempted to calm him. With a smile, the chef took out her cell and sifted through the contacts. It didn't take long to find the number she needed. The text to Akira contained only two words:
Mission Accomplished