ch 2.
characters introduced in ch2.
Gouki Aratake- (25) Ruri's High School homeroom teacher. Ex Delinquent.
Suzuki-Kun- (15) mob character befriends Ruri in her first year.
Ruri's first day back in class after returning from Misaki and Usui's wedding…
[IN RURI'S HIGHSCHOOL CLASS ROOM]
Despite the delicious bento laid out before her, Ruri Yukimura disliked the part of the day set aside for lunch more that just about anything in the world.
As her classmates clamor about noisily bickering and joking; Ruri tried to quietly, without drawing attention to herself, eat her lunch in peace. This tactic hardly ever worked.
Female Classmate #1:
(rude/taunting)"Oi Ruri-hime! Did you storm the castle while you where in England?"
Female Classmate #2:
(rude/taunting)"Hahah! Kidnap yourself a prince charming while you were over there, Princess?"
Female Classmate #1:
(rude/taunting)"She'd have to! No way one would go home with a skinny girl like that without being forced against his will!"
Male Classmate #1:
(rude/taunting)"Doubt anyone's good enough for her, prince or not!"
Male Classmate #2:
(rude/taunting)"That's true she shot this guy down in a heartbeat!"
Male Classmate #1:
(rude/taunting)"Shut up!"
Her classmates erupted in laughter around her as she was once again the butt of some ridiculous joke.
To any mature, adult Ruri's status in the realm of High School would make little to no since. She was lovely. Well groomed. Her looks and intelligence were well above average. However, despite all the things Ruri had going for her it was the past that haunted her.
Over the summer before her 1st year in High School an amazing thing had happened to Ruri Yukimura- something that no matter how hard he prayed for it, had never happened to the elder Yukimura sibling. Ruri grew. Tall. She was very tall in fact, taller than her brother (much to his shock and dismay). When the new term began she was nervous that her sudden growth spurt would cause the skirt of her uniform to be slightly shorter than school standards would allow.
Upon arriving at school, Ruri's 'leggy-ness' gave rise to new issues for the shy teen as she discovered she was not only taller than her brother but almost as tall as many of the boys in her class-a fact, it seemed, all the boys seemed to notice.
The first few days of Ruri's high school consisted of being stared at and whispered about. It hadn't helped that on the first day her teacher Gouki Aratake sensei recognized her as her brother's sister. He'd made it his mission to spread crazy stories from his days as a delinquent about how her elder brother had nearly become his first love. The additional attention hadn't helped. Being the center of attention made her nervous. It made her feel like a big, giant, outcast. It made her feel awful.
Little did she know that the body she believed was awkward and lanky was seen by her classmates as model-esque. The boys loved her and consequently the girls hated her.
By the end of the semester a certain boy in her class had made a special effort to get closer to her than the others. Ruri was glad to have a friend as close as Suzuki-kun by her side. He was especially nice to have near by after unusual things started happening at school. Ruri's textbooks and indoor shoes would go missing, and she'd find unkind notes in her locker. Ruri had no idea what she'd done and Suzuki-kun reassured her that somebody was just trying to be funny.
Eventually it became more and more obvious that it wasn't meant to be funny. After one of the pranks went too far sending Ruri to the infirmary Aratake Sensei made it his business to arrange for Yukimura to meet with him at the school.
[OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL INFIRMARY]
Aratake:
(serious/teacherly)" Yukimura-san, its been a while."
Yukimura:
(concerned)"Aratake-sensei. Where's Ruri?"
Aratake:
(serious/teacherly)" She's inside. No matter what she says, it wasn't an accident. Potted plants don't just drop out of the sky like that. I haven't figured out who's to blame yet, but don't worry Sempai, I'll sniff em out."
Even as a teacher Gouki Aratake gave off the vibe of a delinquent, but the thought of his sister had someone as loyal as Aratake sensei on her side gave Yukimura the courage he needed to address the problem at hand.
Ruri:
(suprised)"Nii-san..."
Yukimura:
(concerned)"Ruri are you ok?"
Her condition was worse than he had prepared for. A bandage covered a large part of her forehead and cheek; her eye was bruised green and purple.
Ruri:
(suprised)"O this is nothing. Im sure it was just an accident."
The teacher's words worried Yukimura even more when the first excuse from his sister was so eerily similar to Aratake's predicted explanation.
What were kids these days thinking? How could they bully his sister? His precious Ruri? His Princess? Why would anyone?-
Yukimura:
(concerned)"Ruri what's going on?"
There was a long pause between them. Yukimura understood that pause. It was shame. As a student he himself had often felt shamefully weak when Ayuzawa Kaicho had asked him if he was being picked on. He never felt right answering because he always thought he could take care of it himself. Not till this moment did Yukimura see so much of himself in his sister. It made him sad, he'd always hoped she would be stronger than he was, but then he remembered his own strength had come later with the help of his friends.
Ruri:
(emotional)"I just. Dont. I don't fit in? I guess?"
With that simple confession Ruri lost it. As her tears flowed Yukimura could feel his own eyes burning with anger and helplessness. As an adult what he thought or said at this point wouldn't really matter. He knew no matter how kind he tried to be to Ruri, no matter how much he told her he loved her, all she'd think about was how she couldn't understand why no one else would. But as her big brother and as someone who had been bullied he had to try.
Yukimura:
(emotional/big brotherly)"Ruri. No."
Yukimura knew he should be strong but his feelings were dangerously close to getting the best of him as he tried to calm his precious sister.
Yukimura:
(emotional/big brotherly)"Ruri. There's nothing wrong with you. You're wonderful. You're a princess! And if they can't see it, then they aren't worth your time!"
It always surprised Ruri when her brother raised his voice because it happened so infrequently. Ruri couldn't help but think how adorable her brother was when he was flustered for her sake.
Ruri:
(touched)"Pft! Hahah! Nii-chan, Noone's called me a princess since elementary school."
It was obvious that her reaction embarrassed him but Yukimura recovered as best her could to be the pillar of strength he thought his sister needed and laughed at himself with her.
Yukimura:
(shy/awkward)"But it made you smile, right?"
Ruri scooted closer to her older brother and hugged him, she felt like the younger sibling for the first time since her growth spurt. The older brother she'd not always been so reliant on, proved once again to be more reliable than any fairytale prince.
Months passed and the harassment seemed to escalate. Ruri became closer and closer to Suzuki-kun as a protector and source of strength. One day right before the winter break she'd nearly fallen after slipping on a patch of ice, as Suzuki-kun caught her, the faces of the two teens were dangerously close. It was like something straight out of a shojo manga. Ruri blushed as she got her balance back. Suddenly Suzuki-kun dropped the bomb.
Suzuki-kun:
(bravely)"I like you, Ruri-chan."
Ruri had been so stressed what with the beginning of school, her growth spurt and all the harassment that she'd not really had time to think about the things girls her age thought about. Suzuki-kun was precious to her but she knew she wasn't ready to be 'liked'! He was her closest friend and confidant, Ruri was sure that Suzuki-kun would wait till she was ready.
Ruri:
(shy/honest)"I'm sorry Suzuki-kun…."
Before Ruri could even finish her answer she heard giggles from the girls in the hallway, and a loud scoff from one of the boys Ruri had suspected might have been one of her bullies. As her classmates laughed Suzuki-kun's expression turned dark. Ruri immediately assumed she'd hurt Suzuki-kun. Her stammered apology did little to express the sorrow she felt for having hurt her friend.
Ruri:
(bravely)"I'm just not ready-"
The laugher intensified with each word she uttered. Suddenly one of the boys came up behind Suzuki-kun and put his arm over Suzuki-kun's shoulder like a friend would. The boy Ruri had never seen with Suzuki-kun seemed chummy like an old pal.
Male Student #1:
(rude)"Lotta good your 'plan' did huh Suzu! Haha!"
Female Student #1:
(rude)"Guess she wasn't as easy as you thought Suzuki-kun!Haha!"
Suzuki suddenly pushed the chummy boy off of his shoulder, but the boy didn't seem upset as he blended back into the crowd.
As her classmates laughed Suzuki-kun's finally spoke. His voice was strained and unearthly, he didn't sound like the Suzuki-kun who had befriended Ruri in her hour of need, the friend who had been with her through thick and thin.
Suzuki-kun:
(rude)"You've gotta be kidding me…"
Ruri:
(confused)"Suzuki-kun?"
Suzuki-kun:
(rude/angry)"After all I've done for you-"
Female Student #1:
(rude)"Don't you mean to her?"
Female Student #2:
(taunting)"He set you up bitch!"
Ruri suddenly felt like her world was spinning out of control as the people she thought hated her, heckled the one person who she thought didn't. The group that now seemed to be surrounding Ruri and Suzuki-kun seemed to grow and with each taunting laugh, everything Ruri believed to be true seemed to unravel. He'd set her up? What could that mean? What did they mean? What did any of this mean?
Suzuki-kun:
(sarcastic)"There goes all my hard work-"
Ruri:
(sad/confused)"What do you mean? What are they talking about Suzuki-kun?"
An evil smirk that Ruri had never seen spread across Suzuki-kun's face as things slowly started to fall into place in Ruri's mind. As she assembled the pieces it seemed her savior had in truth been the cause of all her troubles.
Suzuki-kun:
(cold/hateful)"I did this."
All the horrors of the last year came rushing to her mind. The threatening messages? The days she'd been afraid to go home alone because it seemed like someone was following her? The potted plant that had sent her to the infirmary? Was it really true that Suzuki had planned all that? That he had gotten close to her with the intention of scaring her into relying on his kindness and then taking advantage of her?
Female Student #2:
(rude)"And after all that play acting he did for you, you couldn't even give it up? Poor Suzuki-kun"
Suzuki-kun's wharped smile made Ruri hurt and furious. She'd never felt like this before. For the first time Ruri felt completely out of control. Her mind searched in desperation for anything that could make the situation seem less awful than it was.
Her mind went to her brother; in the heat of the moment she repeated his words from the infirmary.
Ruri:
(sad/confused/angry)"I don't owe Suzuki-kun anything. Ruri is a princess! And if you can't see that, then you aren't worth my time!"
Having made the boldest declaration the heartbroken girl could muster, she ran away, pushing through the unending crowd of cackling faces, she thought she might never escape. When she finally made it back to her classroom she saw the one person who she thought might be trusted to comfort her and threw herself into Aratake-sensei's arms as she broke into uncontrollable despair. Her tears quickly soaked the thin material of his white shirt. He never asked what was wrong, he just silently patted her head as she cried more than she ever had.
Just like that Ruri Yukimura's first semester in High school ended. She never told anyone what had happened. She suspected that Aratake-sensei had worked it out but to her relief he'd managed to keep his mouth shut. In her second year Ruri Yukimura vowed to be a new person, fearless and unshakable.
They'd called her 'princess' ever since.
No matter their reasons Ruri couldn't forgive her classmates for their cruelty. Not Suzuki-kun, or his accomplices. They had started to envy her before they even knew a thing about her. They made her sick. She couldn't do anything but hate them.
end ch 2.
