It'd been two months.

Two. Bloody. Months.

She didn't know whether to scream or cry at this point. Or both. Both sounded good.

Gou ran a hand through her already mussed hair, having taken it out of her ponytail for the day. Her thoughts were causing her a raging migraine and she cracked her neck in the hopes that it would somehow remove the stress that was set in her shoulders.

"Gou, just talk to him." Chigusa told her as she scanned her algebra book. "You aren't getting anywhere like this."

Girl in question whipped her head around to reply. "I'm building up to something Hana-chan! I can feel it. He's just… a hard cookie to crack." She mused.

"You don't say."

"Hana-chan! Some support would totally go a long way right about now." Gou rebuked.

Chigusa rolled her eyes and straightened up, abandoning her already meager attempts at memorizing the formulas and focusing on her rather frustrated best friend. "Okay. So go over this with me. What have you already done?"

Gou counted them off her fingertips as she spoke. "Makeup, shorter than usual skirt, high heels, crossed legs, bending at the hips, lingering touches, stretching-"

"Okay, okay I get it." Chigusa muttered as she held a hand up, stopping Gou's tirade in its tracks.

"I just don't get it!" The redhead blurted out. "I've literally done everything that stupid magazine told me to do and none of it worked." She practically seethed.

The brunette held back a smile, remembering the magazine that had made its rounds across their classroom and found its way into their midst. The articles had caught their attention and figuring as they were old enough (they didn't have as much experience as the other girls in their class – or in Gou's case, none) they'd perused the contents and found one that was titled "How to make him lose control".

And both girls had to admit, the thought of Makoto-senpai losing his cool made them weak at the knees.

The article had listed a lot of things, but they mostly centered on enhancing your own feminine assets. Gou had always heard Nagisa comment on her 'sex appeal' before (to the chagrin of Rin) but she didn't know how to actually use it.

Until now.

But even all of the advice didn't seem to help crack the wall that was Makoto Tachibana.

"Maybe I should just give up." She moaned. "Nagisa was wrong. I have no sex appeal."

"Or maybe," Chigusa started. "You're thinking too much."

Gou raised a brow. "What?"

The girl shook her head. "Gou, that magazine isn't going to work on Makoto-senpai." Even if he had been staring at her more lately. God, she could feel the sexual tension he was holding back. Gou was doing a lot better than she thought she was. "He's too… controlled. Sweet. Rational." Chigusa explained. "If you really want him to 'lose control'" she quoted "You need to use his own emotions against him."

Gou was quiet. "What do you mean, exactly?" She asked tentatively.

Chigusa's smile was wide. "Let's just remind what he could lose."

Makoto sighed as he closed his locker door behind him.

It was a Friday and he just… he couldn't wait to finally get home and collapse in bed.

The past week had been exhausting. Between breaking up screaming matches between his siblings (over dumplings no less) his computer crashing (he'd lost his ten page essay and his projects that needed to be passed this week) and his lack of sleep because of dreams featuring a certain redheaded girl that caused him to wake up at night with an uncomfortable feeling in his boxers – he was ready to forget the entire week and hibernate for the weekend.

Due to midterms coming up, the swim team had abandoned practice for the week and he'd urged Haru to go home ahead of him as he finished up paperwork at the guidance office. He was looking forward to a quiet and cool walk home when he heard it.

The murmuring of voices around the next bend of lockers – one with a voice he recognized.

He paused and wondered why he felt a spark of dread in his chest. What was Gou-chan doing at school so late?

Not wanting to intrude if he could – though what was he intruding on yet, he wasn't sure – he angled his head to peer down the corner.

Well, he wasn't expecting that.

Up against the locker, Gou giggled softly as a guy he didn't know pressed her into the cold steel. Rather than look horrified, harassed or even angry, Gou appeared to be encouraging the action.

If her grabbing mystery guy by his tie to bring him closer was any indication.

She let out another breathy giggle as ducked his head down towards her neck and his knee slipped between her thighs.

Makoto had never thought he would find Gou in any situation even closely related to this one, but he felt no shame at being a voyeur.

Just a sharp tinge of anger he could find no rational understanding of.

After all, it's not like Gou and him were a couple, in any sense of the word.

Just friends. Senpai and Kouhai, Captain and Manager.

…why did that thought burn him so badly?

"Matte, matte Riku-kun." Gou muttered as she pressed against his chest. "I have to go, I still need to deliver some files to the student council, you know."

'Riku' groaned and ran his hand over her waist again. "Kou-chan… you're such a tease." He whined.

She ran a hand through his hair and pouted. "Next time then, choose a better time, okay?"

"Next time, don't be so responsible." He shot back but moved back so she could pass him.

"You just have bad timing." She laughed as she started walking away, heading towards the bend that Makoto was stationed. He flattened against the locker row, keeping to the shadows. "Ja ne Riku-kun." She waved over her shoulder. "See you on Monday."

"Have fun this weekend." Riku called back as he started walking backwards the other way. "Call me if you need… anything." He winked.

"Hai hai, arigato!" Were her last words before turning the corner.

She didn't see him, distracted as she was, so she'd almost completely passed him before he'd reached out and grabbed her hand.

She whipped her head around, eyes wide before relaxing abruptly. "Makoto senpai!" She cried out happily, any traces of earlier tension or attraction gone. It was just Gou that remained now.

Happy, clueless, responsible Gou.

He didn't know why, but he didn't want that smile on her face. Not right now.

Not when he saw what she'd looked like not less than five minutes ago.

He examined her from head to toe, eyes alert to details. Her skirt was rucked up a bit, blazer slightly askew, hair messy – strands falling out of her ponytail. He zeroed in on her lips.

Her lip gloss was smudged.

While he did all this, Gou was watching him in wonder.

"Makoto senpai? Are you okay?" She asked, watching him as he stared back at her, face impassive, warm emerald eyes curiously blank.

After a long moment, he finally spoke up.

"Gou-chan."

"Hai?" She answered him, carmine eyes eager.

"Was that guy your… boyfriend?" He asked her, voice quiet.

She looked at him, confused, before it clicked. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed. "Oh my god senpai, you saw that?!" She looked so embarrassed. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know, I thought there was no one in the area, heck almost no one in the building-"

He cut her off. "But was he your boyfriend?"

He didn't want to think that she'd turned promiscuous all of a sudden, tempting any boy in the general vicinity. Gou was not like that, his Gou would never be like that-

She blinked. "Ah, no."

At her answer, he didn't know what compelled him to do so, but it felt as though he'd suddenly moved on autopilot and had her mimicking her position earlier against the lockers.

Only it was him with a knee between her stocking clad thighs, him with his hands caging her in by her sides and him that wasn't going to let her leave without getting some answers.

He was way too confused when it came to her and right now, he needed some clarity.

Then he'd decide what to do from there.