Summary: Usui Takumi didn't imagine he would ever teach a bunch of hormonal teenage women. And that just made him feel annoyed because he didn't like their desired stares. Until, one student changes his perspective. Unfortunately for him, she hates the subject he teaches.
Beyond the beauty
They say, that what we fear the most, avoid the most gets to us in ways we never imagine.
I didn't think that this was any important than what I ever thought it would be. However, life decided to teach me a lesson.
Wild wind blew over my face; my strides as calm as my mood. i had nothing to lose except; except the sanity I would lose in these years. However, one cannot determine the destiny god laid out for them. And that was the case with me too. I never thought in a million years that i would be teaching a class where they would be just a few years behind. There was no reason for me to refuse except for the fact that they were girls. Teenage girls to be exact, with hormonal giggly voices with hungry stares.
Don't get me wrong, I don't hate girls. I have always loved small girls with two pigtails and sparkly bright eyes that bring a smile on your face; especially when they talk in their adorably high pitched voice.
However, the older girls make me a little weary. But that never did discourage me to stop doing what I love to do. And that's why, i won't give up on teaching these people.
Here I walk, with stares pointing at me from all ends, girls wondering-expecting something from me which I will never give. I could've gotten better in walking, for the sand flew with each step I pushed it back. And square into my eyes it went; as the most cliche thing happened to me: bumping to another person.
'Sorry!'
Ah, there goes the introductions, did she bump into me on purpose? I heard fervent whispers from all direction, but I ignored them all. However, no matter how hard I tried to manage the fake smile, I knew my dull eyes explained of my impatience to get away from this situation. I just wished―hoped that she would not ask me questions let alone stare at me and just walk away. I waited for her to ask me my damn name and get out of my way but she surprised me by just walking away!
I watched her as she strode confidently away from me, her Raven shoulder length hair swaying gracefully behind her as she didn't look back even once. Maybe she was playing hard to get, and I knew she would turn any moment now, expecting me to come get her name. And then, she turned yonder to the left corner and disappeared behind the sea of students, imprinting the fading back in my mind as I couldn't help but wonder what woman can blatantly refuse my undeniably uncontrollable charm.
Well, that's not my business. Not that I cared anyway. I'm here to teach and that's what I will do! It doesn't matter if the tiny little voice in me tried to urge me to meet her.
x―x―x
Usui Takumi never felt so uneasy moving through the corridors of teenage women, looking at him as if he were some object they desired to adorn on themselves. He could very well see those women trying to brace themselves as he approached the class G-3 junior.
A group of teenagers (girls) stared at him, his eyes skimming at everyone with a dry smile no matter how hard he tried to look normally cheerful. Whether it was his conscience or just coincidence that he found her sitting on the first bench, busy in her work like I never existed. Her Raven hair curtacned her face, her hands scribbling furiously.
Until, a girl with red hair tapped her on the shoulder, both of them facing horizontally towards Usui as if he wasn't in the class. Then he saw her eyes, as she finally glanced at him as if she were sizing him up. Her amber eyes imprinted deep in his mind, as she stood up, and calmly went back. He never felt so drawn towards a woman such as her. She wasn't even the age of the some women who tried to pursue him!
However, he pushed all the forbidden thoughts in the back of his head and focused on the first lesson he had to teach. Maybe he can get her to loosen that frown on her forehead and have her remove her blazing glare off his back.
Till then, he started off, teaching about inflorescence. And boy, how well he knew about it.
'...a bunch of flowers are called inflorescence that share same characteristics. Like a few of you may have raven," he glanced at the girl again, and noticed her expression as her eyes wandered to other girls who blushed, "and some may have brunette. Some may have straight hair and some wavy.'
That girl's eyes darkened at his descriptions, as if she understood that he was describing her. He was confused by her behaviour, weren't people supposed to feel happy when they are described?
'And the corymb flowers rise at the same length―'
'Sir, you never gave us the examples for simple raceme.'
He looked at the girl who exchanged the seat with amber eyes(he didn't know what else to call her, except he can call her cutie but he felt strange already). She had an eager look, and he noticed that he had given examples related to other students(especially amber eyes) and she expected the same for herself too.
'We are discussing the simple raceme flowers. You will find the examples in the textbook once you read it,' he casually looked around the class and found the amber eyes raising her eyebrows as if she were saying, "Seriously?"
'Anyway, I wasn't referring to actually reading each and every paragraph, I just meant the examples as in here...' Usui read the examples out for the students to underline. He stole a glance at the girl sitting in the back, carelessly doodling. He will have to speak to her, make sure that whatever she was thinking, would be known by him.
x―x―x
'Sir!' he turned, looking at the bunch of students running towards him. He wanted to get rid of them, especially when he was chosen to monitor them during their study hour from 6-8 in the evening. He kept glancing at the girl, wondering what expression she would have. He couldn't speak to her privately though. There were just too many people around him. He had purposefully given a huge pile of homework, seeing if anyone can still like him after this.
However, nobody bothered to even see the homework, everyone left the classroom after chatting idlly. Except the one girl Usui observed in the morning. She worked so diligently, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She looked so beautiful as she worked; she nibbled the bottom lip softly making him mark her as cute. She didn't even look up, as he struggled to dampen his curiosity out of his conscience. He approached her as she made a disgusted face.
'What is your name?' he asked, awkward as it looked. He had never asked anyone's name like that. Not even when he had first found that his father was still alive living under another name. She blinked her eyes a few times, confused by his approach. He took the time to glance at the pushed books. His expression changed as he noticed the scratches on the notebook, not any notebook; Botany notebook.
'Ayuzawa Misaki.'
Her voice was strong too, along with aura she exhibited. There was just another feel around her, he could ease out without feeling the constant feeling that someone was watching him hungrily.
'Do you have any doubt in Botany? You can always ask me," he said gently, as he noticed her throw another distasteful look in the direction of the book. She looked back at him, as if he had grown another head. Her eyes held his, daring him to look away. Apparently, he wasn't going to back down from the challenge she seemed to put up. Her eyes slid down after a few more moments of staring, she grabbed the last book and pointed at the text.
'How can you distinguish between simple raceme and compound raceme while they both have the same characteristic? Why is the stalk of the flower not called pedicel and not peduncle? Why are there so many examples?'
He couldn't help but wonder if she even listened to him in the class or not. He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his throat, making her scowl.
'Well, they can be distinguished quite easily. Don't ever think botany is difficult. Because they are mostly about flowers that we know,' he teasingly said, lightening the mood unconsciously.
"That's why I hate botany so much! No one seems to understand why the hell we should study things that do nothing but maintain their beauty and smell alluring. Why are we even studying them? They are only a bunch of useless living organisms,' she muttered, standing up to leave.
He watched her walk a few steps before he walked behind her and grabbed her wrist. She turned and looked at him, finding him completely serious. He looked so much different from the other times she ever saw him. If she felt anything towards him, she hid it well.
"Flowers aren't just about sparkly petals and sweet smelling nectar. They teach us lessons we often forget,' he pulled her closer as he said that, making her almost reflexively pull her hand away had he not put respectable distance between them. She wondered if she can ever get over the tingling sensation on the place he grabbed her, 'They teach us that life isn't always fair. But they keep smiling no matter how hard the wind blows. No matter how many feet trample them, they get up again and shine bright. They survive through times that we could never do. They do nothing for themselves, the scent is not for pleasure. And I promise you, botany is not just about pretty flowers,' he said with a smile. He released her hand gently, the tingling fading as he excused himself and went out.
Her eyes watched his back, the words sinking in her mind.
Little did she know, that this was a start for something more than just a lesson.
~Fin~
Author's Note:
Hey there guys! I am kinda back till tomorrow. This was just a small thought I shared with Minniemiss123(Thank you so much for helping me!) and she was my temporary beta reader. I am so grateful I could write even just a small piece of what could be a larger idea.
These will be a series of one shots or just one, but I will still put a complete sign since I am writing small shots.
If you found this little short worth your review, go ahead. It will always light me up to know that somewhere I was able to write something awesome.