Things were different at Hakuou Academy since a girl enrolled. Everyone pretended it wasn't, since there was only one of her and a couple hundred boys, but it really was. People wanted to think that they didn't treat her any differently, but they did. It was all so obvious, it was happening every time she made an appearance, and it didn't make any sense to him why anyone would deny it.
Not everyone treated her the same. There were a few boys that wanted to treat her like "one of the guys," but the problem was that she wasn't. She was more on the fragile side, she acted like a respectable young lady, despite dressing more boy-ish, and she couldn't possibly keep up with their antics, rough play, or anything of the sort. Heaven forbid that they ever try and play sports with her.
Most people went about treating her like a lady. They would adjust their language and tone, even if only a little, and mind their manners just a tad bit more. They would hold doors open for her, offer to help carry heavy things, and generally lend her a hand if she asked for it. They were trying to treat her with the same courtesy she showed them. After all, she was always polite, always smiling, and always willing to do anything to help anyone. Even if it was something she couldn't really do.
Then there was a small percentage of the student body that made it a point to harass her. Perhaps they treated their own mothers with such disrespect, who knows. They often went beyond the bounds of strictly teasing her, usually resorting to calling her more derogative names and making inappropriate innuendos. They would try and back her into a corner, make grabs at her clothes, and someone even dared to grab her arm to stop her from leaving. She was very fortunate to have a friend like Toudou Heisuke-san to back her up. He saw that boy grab her and he lost it.
It was no secret that the female student, Yukimura Chizuru-san, was close friends with Toudou-san. They had grown up next door to each other and he was the one who invited her to the Academy when it switched to co-education. She probably would not have come at all if it weren't for him, which fluctuated his popularity amongst the students. Some of the guys praised him for bringing such a "cute" girl into the school. While he appreciated the praise, he was floored by the fact that so many men were interested in his best friend. It often raised the question about how he felt about the girl.
Other boys were a little less than enthused. Cute or not, having a girl at the school threw a wrench into things. She interrupted the otherwise normally smooth-running student body and created a big fuss amongst the teachers. Especially the physical education teacher, Harada Sanosuke-sensei. He was having a most terrible time deciding on activities that someone as... small... as her could handle.
She was absolutely terrible at sports. Every team activity seemed to exhaust her by mid-game. After a couple weeks of this, the other boys did their best to exclude her. She would just run aimlessly around the gymnasium, trying to be useful, really, but to no avail. Harada-sensei tried to force the others to pass to her, but they outright refused. She would cost whatever team she was on the game.
So with it being nothing personal, Yukimura-san didn't seem too bothered by their unfair treatment. She would often tell Toudou-san that they were just doing what they thought was best. She would have to get better before she got another chance. Toudou-san would go into a rage every time the subject was brought up. He so desperately wished to be in her gym class so he could level the playing field.
When they weren't playing sports, her class was often running laps, jumping rope, and doing other singular activities. She liked these better, it seemed, because no one was depending on her but herself. It was no surprise that she was the slowest runner, the one with the least grace, and the one who couldn't do more than three push-ups. She wasn't exactly in pique condition. One of the guys asked her about it, very curious as to her lack of physical fitness. It was obvious she wasn't going to have bulging muscles or anything, but they figured girls would be a little better than she was proving to be.
"My relative's a doctor," she'd start off saying, "so I spend most of my free time observing and learning from him." She folded her hands and smiled, a light pink color spreading across her face from embarrassment as she continued her story. "At my old school, we didn't do very much for physical education. We did a lot of light running and a few sports. Things like tennis and badminton were really popular. Even then, I'm just not very coordinated... sports have always been a struggle for me."
In the spring of her first year, Yukimura-san was forced to experience her first day of school alone. She and Toudou-san had always walked to school together every morning since the beginning of the year. He was teased relentlessly for it, but he would always swear that it was just because they were neighbors. Yukimura-san would always laugh before trying to come to his rescue. It was one of the many things he was teased for, but she was always grateful that it didn't stop him from hanging out with her whenever he could.
She wasn't quite sure what to do with herself without him. They had a routine together and she enjoyed it very much. She quickly shook her head in an attempt to end her nonsensical way of thinking. You'll be fine without Heisuke-kun!, she shouted to herself. He's sick, after all, he needs to rest. Yukimura-san had made friends with most of her classmates and several other students. Okita Souji-san and Saitou Hajime-san, two second year students belonging to the kendo club, for example. She had befriended them when she stayed to watch Heisuke-kun practice. They were all quite exceptional, especially Saitou-san.
She had made it through most of her morning virtually unscathed, the absence of her childhood friend not bothering her as much as she had thought. She'd silently resigned herself to visit him after school to bring him his homework and help take care of him. He always really liked her cooking when he was sick. He always claimed it was better than his mother's, to which she would promptly yell and scold him.
Gym class is where she had trouble. Harada-sensei had decided to do thing differently, something that excited all the students. He had a rope with a knot tied at the base hanging from the ceiling. "The rules are simple," he said, "Just climb to the top, tap the post the rope is hanging from, and come back down." While the boys hollered and prepared to climb, Harada-sensei walked over to Yukimura-san and said, "Just do your best, kid. Climb as high as you can and come back down."
It saddened her a bit to be given leniency in comparison to her classmates, but she knew that it was for her own benefit. She would never make it to the top in her condition. Still, she vowed to go as high as she could, not quite realizing her daunting fear of falling.
She was the last to go, the other boys busy teasing someone else who couldn't make it all the way to the post. Whoever it was swore up and down that they slipped, but that didn't seem to make a difference. So Yukimura-san took this opportunity to grab the rope and begin her ascent just like she had seen all the others do.
Everyone had turned to watch her slowly inch her way upwards when she made it a few feet off the ground. This was much harder than she'd expected and her palms were getting unnaturally sweaty and slick. If her arms didn't give out first, her moist hands wouldn't support her. She was fighting her legs to no avail to grip the rope like she'd seen everybody else do, but it just wasn't going to happen. She stayed suspended almost halfway to the top until the bell rang.
"Alright everybody, that's enough for today! Hit the showers and go get ready for your next class!"
The boys ran out the gym and hastily busted open the locker room door, leaving poor Yukimura-san dangling from the rope. "Oi, Yukimura, you can let go now. Class is over, you did good for today." Harada-sensei's words didn't seem to reach her, though. Yukimura-san tried to look down to free herself, but froze in terror when she saw how high up she actually was. She might not have climbed very far up, but it was high enough to hurt if she fell. Her body was exhausted, but her grip wouldn't loosen on the rope to slide down. Harada-sensei had tried to coax her into letting go, but it wasn't working. He tried to reach her, but she was just barely out of his grasp. He even offered to catch her if she would let go, but it didn't work. He was very unsure about what to do at the moment.
Just then, second year student Yamazaki Susumu-san walked into the gymnasium. He was wearing the school's standard gym clothes and a headband, his unkempt brown hair softening under the florescent lights. "Harada-sensei, I hate to interrupt, but it would seem a fight has broken out in the locker room." That was all it took to push him over the edge.
"Gah, just great! Alright then, fine: I'll go take care of the fight. Yamazaki-kun, get a ladder or something and get Yukimura-kun down. She's petrified." After that, he took off running in the direction of the locker rooms, leaving the two students in a state of uncertainty. The boy, Yamazaki-san, slowly approached the dangling girl. He knew that he had no access to a ladder, for he'd have to hunt down a school staff member to unlock the closet that it was in. She'd probably have fallen by then. Instead, he tried to make small talk with her.
"Hello, my name is Yamazaki Susumu. I'm a second year student. You're Yukimura Chizuru-san, right?" She slowly peaked her eyes open at the sound of her name and laid eyes on the boy speaking to her. She noticed that he was a bit on the smaller side, not quite as tall or as built as many of the other male students. It wasn't to say that he didn't look strong; he was just more on the lean and fit side. It made her smile a bit.
"Yes, that's me. It's very nice to meet you, Yamazaki-san, though I wish it were under different circumstances." Her voice was low and strained and the trembling of her body signaled that she couldn't hold on for much longer. Still, she was working hard to be polite and Yamazaki-san had respect for that. Thinking quickly, he moved to stand behind her. "That's quite alright. How about you let go of that rope now? I'm right behind you, so I'll catch you," he said. His voice was so level and controlled; it eased her just a bit. Still, she violently shook her head, and muttered, "N-N-No! No, I can't! Harada-sensei said the same thing, but I just- I- I can't! I just can't!"
She sounded so broken now, like a frightened child. Yamazaki-san hated seeing her this way and most certainly didn't think this would be how they first encountered each other (not that he had anything in particular in mind to begin with). He took a deep breath and tried talking again. He had to calm her nerves and get her to trust him. "Yukimura-san, it's alright to be afraid. Lots of people are afraid of heights. There's a mat down here for you to land on and I'm right behind you. I promise to catch you; you have nothing to worry about."
Her eyes drifted around the room, but she couldn't see him. She wanted to look into his eyes, she wanted something to look at to break her fall. She didn't have any confidence in this blind trust thing that he and Harada-sensei were so insistent upon. The rational part of her brain told her that she'd be alright. That he was standing behind her because it would be easier and safer that way for the both of them. But, she wasn't being at all rational right now, and thoughts like that didn't help.
Yamazaki-san saw that he was having little-to-no effect on the girl and her shaking had only gotten worse. With very little options left, and the commotion from the locker rooms seeming to die down, it was only a matter of time before students flooded the gymnasium. The last thing Yukimura-san needed was a group of people watching her struggle. So, making a quick decision, Yamazaki-san grabbed the rope and hoisted himself off the ground.
Yukimura-san squeaked when she felt the rope move, and then tensed up even more when she felt someone grab her. Yamazaki-san had somehow managed to climb up to her and then move around her so he was suspended directly behind her. With one hand gripping the rope above her head, he wrapped his free arm around her waist. He quickly whispered into her ear, "We need to get you down quickly. The other class will be here soon and they don't need to see you like this. I've got you, so loosen your grip and we'll slide down together."
His breath was hot on her ear and their positioning alone was enough to flush her face red. Still, his tactic had worked, for she no longer had the strength to hold herself up. She let go of the rope and his grip on her tightened as they descended to the ground. Their feet hit the mat with a 'thud' and Yukimura-san's whole body was trembling. Yamazaki-san was forced to support her entire body weight as she tried to find her legs and remember how to use them. She was covered in sweat, her breathing was slightly labored, and she was very unstable. Before the doors opened, he said, "Come on. I'll walk you to the nurse's office."
After that, they ducked out the side door and slowly hobbled their way to the other side of the school.
-\*/-
Once in the nurse's office, Yamazaki-san seated Yukimura-san in a nearby chair. He went in search of the nurse, but was reluctant to find her. He turned back to see Yukimura-san looking rather miserable in her chair and resigned himself to take care of her.
He walked over to the nurses cabinets and grabbed a paper cup. He filled it with water and grabbed a damp cloth. He then kneeled before Yukimura-san and handed her the water while he proceeded to wipe her forehead. Before she could say anything, he said, "Relax. The nurse isn't here, but I'm part of the Health Committee. I think I'm qualified to do at least this for you."
She blushed madly as he spoke, finding that although his voice was soothing and steady, it did nothing to calm her racing heart. She knew that her problems were linked to being trapped in mid-air, but this seemed to feel different. She took tiny sips of her water, not quite trusting her voice enough to thank him just yet.
Yamazaki-san, being trained to do things like this, tried to make more small talk with her. Now that she was safely back on the ground, it should work to comfort her. "Tell me about yourself, Yukimura-san. Are you liking Hakuou Academy so far?" All he got in response were her big, doe-eyes staring back at him. It was clear that she wasn't ready to speak just yet, so he'd have to fill in the silence himself.
"As I've told you before, I'm a second year student here. I believe I went to the same middle school as your friend, Toudou Heisuke-san," he said, catching her attention. "He hasn't changed much since those days. He's still very loud and boisterous, always getting himself into trouble. Still kind as ever and he speaks of you just as fondly as he did back then." Her face seemed to show that she was surprised to hear such a thing. Surely she couldn't be oblivious to his feelings for her? He could deny whatever he wanted, it was clear that the shaggy-haired brunette cared very deeply for her.
He continued for her, "Yes, I recall several times overhearing a conversation that pertained to you. He told many tales of you and his adventures together. I had often wondered why he didn't just confess to you, by the way it sounded, you liked him as well." Yukimura-san's cheeks darkened once again and she wondered why Heisuke-kun had never mentioned any of this to her before. "Although, I didn't know him very well. Being a grade ahead of him, I didn't see him very often. Still, I never once heard him speak of you without a smile on his face. A real, genuine one, not the mischievous one he likes to wear otherwise."
By now, her trembling had stopped and breathing had returned to normal. Yamazaki-san had handed over the damp cloth ages ago and had taken a seat next to her to continue their one-sided conversation. She had to admit, he was very good at this. He spoke so easily and casually to her, like they had known each other for a long while. With his low and perfectly toned voice, and his come-to-light good looks, it was no surprise that he had been able to put her at ease.
She couldn't help but outline him in her mind as she softly spoke absentmindedly. She was muttering something about liking the Academy as she studied him. He sat with perfect posture, his hands resting on each knee. They were small, like hers, but calloused and strong. She could tell just by looking at the tops of them that he was a very hard worker. His arms were toned, and she could just barely see the forming bulge of muscle definition taking shape. His arm certainly felt very strong and secure when it was wrapped around her waist.
The thought of his hold on her made her blush all over again, something she was very good at as of late. With her back pressed against him, she could feel that he was very well built. He was perfectly lean, she doubted he had an ounce of fat on him, but he didn't have that body-builder physique that a lot of the other guys had. It was like he was this perfect package of strong and good looking, without all of the detailed definition and height that towered over her. He was comfortable - a lot like Heisuke-kun.
But, he was also very different from Heisuke-kun. Yamazaki-san had a much softer jaw line than Heisuke-kun, but his skin was lighter and much softer looking. How could someone with such worked hands have such a soft appearance? It was quite the mystery to her. And his eyes, don't even get her started on them. Heisuke-kun had a very pretty pair of glimmering green-blue eyes. They held a lot of light and happiness in them. Yamazaki-san's eyes, on the other hand, were very sharp (contrasting with his soft face) and they were the most piercing shade of purple she'd ever seen. They were cold, but bright, and that lended them some kindness. His features seemed to all contradict one another, making him the perfect blend of cool and strong with grace and compassion. Although he didn't appear to smile much, he looked far too kind and gentle to be considered cold.
Then there was his hair. It was so short and choppy, like he just let someone attack it with a pair of scissors. Yet it also seemed to suite him wonderfully. With hair that short and messy, you could always see his brilliant eyes, and the soft skin on his forehead, but you could also run your hands through it. It was genius, really. Because of the way it was, you couldn't really mess it up even more, it was short enough to not tangle, and it looked magnificently soft. Even these mere thoughts made her want to reach her hand out towards him.
She was forced to pay attention again when he moved closer to her. Her rambling had stopped some time ago and she missed whatever he had said. His eyes were slightly closed and his mouth had the hints of a smirk playing on them. What on Earth had happened?
"I-I-I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said. Could you please repeat that?" she barely managed to get out. Since when had she stuttered so badly?
"Of course," he started, "Please pay attention this time. I asked you if I was wrong." She could only stare at him, mouth agape, and wonder what he was talking about. "Wrong about what, Yamazaki-san?"
"You and Toudou-san. You said you liked this school because it meant you got to see him more. However, with the way you've been staring at me, I figured I might be wrong about my assumptions. Do you like him?" This was a side of Yamazaki-san that no one had seen before. Any friends that he had, anyone that he talked to, he never showed any sort of interest in girls. He had never had his sexuality come into question, but he never made any remarks, never talked about a woman other than his mother or his cousins, and he never seemed to look twice. Yet here he was, absolutely stunned by the beauty of one petite brunette.
Yes, she was pretty. Yes, her brown eyes were drawing him closer. Yes, the blush painted on her face and slight part of her lips was driving him mad. Yes, he knew that Toudou-san would be furious if he found out about what was about to happen. It just couldn't be helped, though. He knew he was interested in girls, he just hadn't found any to hold his attention. This used to be an all boys' school and he lived in a neighborhood with mostly elderly people. Most girls he saw were just people passing by, he doubted he'd ever see them again. But, here was Yukimura-san, beautiful and cute, sitting right before him. He could see her more than once. She didn't hold his interest solely because she was around, because she was available or convenient. No, he knew since that first day of school that he'd liked her. He'd just never gone near her until now.
"Do I like Heisuke-kun? Well, he's my best friend, so y-yes! But, I-I'm not romantically interested in him!" Yukimura-san felt like her heart was going to explode. She couldn't figure out for the life of her what was going on or how to handle it. Here they were, two teenage students, alone in the nurses office. Her face was bright red and he was absolutely gorgeous. He leaned in closer and closer to her, but did something else that caught her completely by surprise. His hand had snaked into her lap, retrieving one of her own. He slowly raised it to his lips, giving it the most feather-light kiss he could muster. Her heart must have stopped entirely.
"That's good to know, Yukimura-chan. I would hate to stand in the way of two people. However, if that's the case, I suppose I won't hold back my efforts." The bell rang, signaling the end of their last class. Yamazaki-san had completely missed his gym class and Yukimura-san knew she'd be scolded for missing history. Still, he didn't seem at all bothered and she felt too fuzzy to worry.
Yamazaki-san gave her hand a gentle squeeze as he stood up and moved towards the door. "You can stay in here and rest, if you'd like. It appears the nurse is gone for the day." He grabbed a pad and pen from the counter by the door and scribbled something on it. "This is a note for you to show your teacher. As part of the Health Committee, this will excuse your absence."
And just as he pushed the door open and stepped into the hallway, he turned and said, "Oh, and Yukimura-chan, please don't worry - I would never kiss you without your permission."
Yes, she was going to have to stay put in the nurse's office until she could compose herself.
-\*/-
At the end of the day, when Yukimura-san finally made it home, she had decided against going over to visit Heisuke-kun. She asked Koudou-san to run over to his house and give him his homework. Before he could question her, she shouted that she had much of her own work to do and couldn't be bothered.
It was no surprise to anyone the next day, that when Toudou-san had returned to school, someone told him about Yukimura-san and Yamazaki-san's encounter in the nurse's office. Who had seen them was beyond Yukimura-san, but it sent her best friend into a rage. Still, she stifled a laugh as she caught a glimpse of the object of his anger looking down on her from a classroom window. He smiled for her that day.
"A/N: My feels for Yamazaki are so intense! He was my favorite Shinsengumi member. I am so saddened by the lack of fan art, merchandise, and fanfiction's for him. It breaks my heart really. This was originally supposed to be a Chizuru and Heisuke story, but I scrapped that the moment I saw a picture of chibi Yamazaki from Sweet School Life. I ship this pairing, too, and I've never written for them, so... this happened. I tried my best to base this on Sweet School Life, but as I've never played the game, I just had to guess. I took as much information as I could find and rolled with it. It could also be a stand-alone school AU. Eh, what do you want? Please review this and tell me what you thought."