"Madonna-chan~" Yahisa thought she heard someone calling her and there were footsteps approaching, but she shook it off, this is the time when she needs to concentrate on the target in front of her – the national archery competition is just a few weeks away and she needs all the practice she could get. Everyone at the archery club focused their attention on her, just as she was about to release the bow, she was interrupted by the voice again – this time, it's much louder. Her attention had gone to the voice which caused a shift in her stance and the arrow missed its mark. Thankfully, no one was hurt; ironically, Yahisa could now confirm that the commotion she heard was real.
"What a pity, senpai," Kinose remarked. Miyaji, who is sitting next to Kinose, simply shook his head muttering something along the lines of how Yahisa needs to put more effort into her concentration. The Baka-Trio were discussing about the mistake earlier while anticipating the reaction from their captain. Finally, the captain of the archery club, Kanakubo, is just…smiling? It must have been a mistake, Yahisa blinked her eyes once again, and Kanakubo just sat there smiling. That smile wasn't directed at anyone, which made it look more terrible and frightening.
As soon as Yahisa turned around to make sure that she actually saw what she saw, strands of red hair and a blue ribbon came into her field of view – it was the former president of the school newspaper, Oushiro Shirogane. "Madonna-chan~ I found yooooooou!" The red hair reporter said cheerfully unbeknownst to the imminent danger that is to come. "Do you know how hard it is to locate you?" Yahisa shook her head with an innocent manner. Perhaps it was a good thing that the tall reporter blocked her sight of the archery team captain who held onto an unbreakable smile of doom. "I have been to the nurse's office but the only thing I found there was Hoshizuki-sensei taking his nap!" Shirogane explained to Yahisa his epic journey, he continued, "then I went to the student council room to look for you, but before I could enter, I heard Banchou's blackboard squeaking sound from hell! So my instinct tells me you weren't in there!" He paused for a moment as though he was letting others to absorb what he had been telling Yahisa for the last five minutes. Shirogane was oblivious to the fact that no one bothered to interrupt because they had their focus on their captain.
"Are you done?" The patient captain parted his lips at last. Everyone at the scene including Yahisa herself looked at the captain, then back to the reporter to anticipate what is about to come. No one dared to make any comments, the pressure is on.
"My oh my~ Homare-chan~ I didn't realize you were he-"
"If you would like to have an interview with a member of the archery club, you are advised to make an appointment a week in advance." Shirogane got interrupted before he could finish his sentence.
Kanakubo spoke with a stern voice that echoed through the dojo, his smile was never gone from his face. "We would appreciate if our team members remained undisturbed by reporters during their practice, especially by a weird one." Even Shirogane picked up the emphasis that Kanakubo made about him.
"Homare-chan~ Don't be so cold~" Shirogane's instinct told him that he should probably back out now, but maybe he could get something out of Yahisa if he pushed a little harder. "Madonna-chan is too popular that it's hard to find her~ Right Madonna-chan?" And he just passed the hot potato right to Yahisa, who had been standing there lost within the conversation.
"E-erm…" Yahisa stuttered, "I-" She knew whatever she is about to say will land her in a difficult position.
"Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust kidding! Kuhihi~" The reporter with goggles spoke after what seemed like an eternity. "Okay okay, I will take my leave. Oh dear, Homare-chan~ Don't be so scary~ Calm down~" Shirogane gestured with both hands to tell the smiling captain to drop his guard. "Kuhihi~ You should calm down, otherwise you'll have to take your stomach medicine~" He slowly inched his way out while he bowed his head numerous times to everyone at the scene, to Kanakubo especially. The captain's face is still the same as the moment that Shirogane barged into the dojo, he is unmoved by Shirogane's apologies.
Just before Shirogane completely disappeared from the dojo and everyone could relax, Yahisa called out to him, "Wait, Shirogane-senpai!" No one knew whether this is magic or the simple fact that a self-proclaimed weirdo such as Shirogane could practically do "anything", he appeared in front of Yahisa immediately. The tension in the dojo rose once again.
"Did Madonna-chan ask for me~? Kuhihi~" Shirogane said in his usual joking manner while lowering his head to the level of Yahisa.
Yahisa looked at the people in the dojo, then at her captain who seemed to have a tint of anxiety on his face but still kept his hostile smile in the direction of the intruder. "I-I was thinking that…if it is okay with you," Yahisa paused to ease herself from the attention, "we could have an interview after this." She could see Shirogane had been nodding approvingly, but she hadn't finish yet. "However, I hope that Shirogane-senpai would not trouble others in the future because of me."
"Done and done!" The reported said with excitement, but just as he was about to open his mouth to speak more, he was reminded of the presence of the captain…and his smile. "A-anyway~ I will see you afterwards at the rooftop garden~" He waved rabidly at Yahisa. Finally, the source of disturbance is gone…at least for the time being.
Miyaji shook his head for the nth time of the day at what has been unraveled thus far. Kinose who had been amused by the event whispered to the Baka-Trio that he wished to see whether Shirogane-senpai or captain Kanakubo is stronger. The Baka-Trio in return commented that it would be even more interesting had Haruki-sensei been here. Miyaji who happened to hear the conversation between the four of them agreed as well. As for the stone-willed captain of the archery club, he eased his smile and returned to normal while Yahisa apologized to him. "It's just one of those days," he smiled weakly at the girl in front of him while he reached for his stomach medicine.
"You'll see, Oushiro."
Yahisa thought she heard what she just heard from the captain who had been clutching his stomach in pain, but she dared not to ask him for clarification. "It's just one of those days," she told herself, "yes it is."
Yahisa was thankful that the rest of the day ended rather uneventfully except for that incident earlier, although Kanakubo had to dismiss the club activity slightly early due to his stomachache. She couldn't help but to feel sorry for the captain and she made sure she had apologize to him several times again before she left the dojo. Afterwards, she made her way to the rooftop garden just as she had promised the former president of the school newspaper. She opened the door at the end of the stairs and she was surprised by the person in front of her, it was none other than Shirogane. He sat on the floor with his back against the wall, the refraction of the vermillion rays from the setting sun accentuated his hair which made Yahisa breathless.
"Beautiful…" Yahisa was surprised by her own words that escaped from her lips. She couldn't take her eyes off the "weirdo" in front of her. She may not realize it now, but she would be surprised to learn that what she has done is "admiration". "He must've been waiting for me right after he left the dojo. I guess this 'weirdo' does get tired too." She chuckled at her own thought as she crouched down and wached him in silence. "Why does he always wear a pair of goggles?" The viridian goggles contrasted with Shirogane's hair analogously – the prideful blue in a sea of flames. She leaned closer to inspect the goggles while she made sure she would not wake him up. "I wonder if it is difficult to see with them?"
"Madonna-chan, I'll have to kiss you if you keep on getting closer and closer."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The person who Yahisa thought "was supposedly sleeping" actually spoke to her and she was taken aback. Before Yahisa was about to fall backwards and land on her back, the "sleeping beauty" grabbed her by her arm and pulled in the opposite direction to break the fall.
"Kuhihi~ Madonna-chan~" Shirogane took the goggles off his eyes and placed them on his forehead. "I didn't know you're interested in a weirdo like me?" He grinned mischievously at the fallen girl in front of him.
Yahisa tried to fix her composure from the fall by removing herself from Shirogane. "W-weren't you supposed to be sleeping? H-have you been awake the whole time? D-don't you know this is not good for the heart?" Her accusations rained down on the trickster, but all he did was to laugh at the questions she threw at him and snap a few shots of her while he's at it.
"Maybe I should write in the school paper that Madonna-chan likes to look at people and touch their things when they're asleep." The red hair with braids commented jokingly as a counterstrike to the accusations lay against him. "And she is actually quite heavy too~ Kuhihi~"
"I'm leaving!" Yahisa pouted in defense while she brushed off the dust on her uniform.
"Oh~ Madonna-chan is angry?" Shirogane sounded as though he was surprised by Yahisa's reaction even when he shouldn't be. After all, he was the one who made her so. "Do you know that getting Madonna-chan angry is a compliment to a weirdo like me?" Yahisa tilted her head, and after much contemplation which she tried to figure out what the weirdo was talking about, she placed a hand over her forehead as a sign of defeat. "How about this," Shirogane proposed, "if Madonna-chan is willing to finish the interview, I wouldn't write what I just said. Kuhihi~"
"You're picking on me!" Yahisa was unhappy by what Shirogane had offered, she felt as though he put her through a series of his traps since the beginning, but on a second thought she said, "okay, I'll do it." She had a long day already and she wasn't planning on making her day any longer, at least not with this weirdo. She sighed at how all the compliments she had for him (or what little was left of it) earlier were completely gone at this point.
"Kuhihi~ Let's see~" Shirogane snapped the goggles onto his eyes again and flipped through his notebook which contains a list of questions. He placed a check mark next to Yahisa's name and her three sizes while he grinned to himself. The busy reporter caught a glimpse of Yahisa who looked at him with suspicion, and he quickly slid his pencil to the next unchecked question. "When is Madonna-chan's birthday?"
"May," Yahisa was hesitant about giving out the day, but Shirogane gestured wanting her to say more, "7th."
"I see~ Madonna-chan is a Taurus!" The poor girl nodded her head unwillingly hoping her ordeal would end soon. She never imagined it would be this way. "The next question is Madonna-chan's favourite food!" Shirogane appeared to be having a lot of fun with the questions, unfortunately, Yahisa is not. A bystander would find this amusing if it weren't for Shirogane's infamous "weirdo" title and his eerie (?) grins every now and then. Several people who happened to walk past the two couldn't help but feel sorry for the only girl in school, yet they didn't do anything to help her because they knew Shirogane was just interviewing the number one attention of interest. Indeed, it was all for the "greater good" of the male population in the school.
"What do you think about our student council president, Kazuki Shiranui?"
Yahisa was glad that the question he threw at her is no longer her personal information. Then again, the purpose of this question has to do with the impression of what she thinks of another, which others could always infer and her words could be taken out of context. In a sense, it may be just as bad or even worse than the personal questions he threw at her earlier. She wouldn't want to hurt the people around her with her words. Yahisa's concerns transcended to her expressions unconsciously, it would be an understatement to say that Shirogane didn't pick it up.
"It's alright Madonna-chan," the reporter told the girl with anxiety. The grins that he had earlier on the face were gone. It was replaced by a more solemn complexion, but the warm rays of the setting sun made Shirogane looks as though he is very gentle. Yahisa was amazed by the different interpretation she could gather in such a short time. Sometimes, light and shadow could do interesting things to people, and bring out a side that was never seen before. "Don't worry, just say what comes to your mind." His voice was low and deep, it was nothing Yahisa has heard from him before. He wasn't being demanding per se, but Yahisa could feel that he wanted something from her.
"What could he be possibly thinking?" Yahisa wondered. She noticed the change of character, but she couldn't understand why he did it. The curious girl looked at the reporter with goggles and it was then she realized that the reporter in front of her is a very good friend with the president. Now she understands why Shirogane would like to know what she thinks, after all, it's very common for friends to know what others think about their own friends – especially one that they're very proud of.
Yahisa took a deep breath and relaxed herself. "President Kazuki," she paused briefly to compose herself, "is a reliable person that I think everyone in the school can count on." She peeked at the reporter to see if he got any comments with what she just said, but the reporter just stood there diligently wrote down what she said. "There are days in the student council when we've got a lot of paperwork to do, but President Kazuki will always tell me and Hayato-kun to leave early and he will finish the rest." Yahisa smiled at the thought of that – the kind president who always looks out for people around him. "But I think that if President Kazuki doesn't skip out on his work too much, then Hayato-kun wouldn't have to spend his time chasing after the president too much, and then…" She realized this sounds like a complaint and she trailed off with, "President Kazuki wouldn't have to stay up late for them", as a conclusion without offering any explanation to her words. She smiled bitterly at the reporter as a way of saying, "you understand this too, right?"
The reporter looked up from the notebook he was busily writing and said with a hint of amusement, "sounds like the Kazuki I know," and he resumed with the writing. "What is the one thing on your mind about Kazuki?" The reporter asked again without shifting his attention from the notebook. There is something different with this follow-up question, but Yahisa couldn't figure out how "different" it is. It could be an ad-lib question because the reporter wasn't satisfied with her answer, a personal question from Shirogane because he didn't address the president's name formally, or both.
"Erm…I wonder whether I have met President Kazuki before…" Yahisa could still remember the day in the hallway that the president seemed to know certain things about her prior to their first encounter, but he didn't explain himself any further and he even denied having anything to do with it.
"Do you think we have met before, Madonna-chan?" He pointed to himself and grinned like the Cheshire Cat – the silly reporter is back. Yahisa couldn't help but to laugh at the reporter and his expression, it was too hilarious to pass. The red hair seemed to be in his entertainer spirit that he did several more wacky expressions which made Yahisa laughed even more. "You're weird, Shirogane-senapi" was the compliment she gave him, it had to be squeezed in between the laughter while she clutched onto her stomach.
"Oh what have we got here? Looks like you guys are having a great time!" The voice belonged to the president of the student council. Shiranui greeted Shirogane with a nod and he patted on the secretary's head as usual. "I'm sorry to interrupt you guys, but our beloved secretary here has forgotten her duty at the student council." Yahisa's expression went from the laughter she had a minute ago to a face that only one can see at the end of the world. Shiranui patted on her head once again to let her know that the end of the world has yet to come and said in a proud fatherly manner, "Well, that's our secretary! She is very efficient, but you gotta give her reminders from time to time. She is very popular by the way."
"I wasn't even asking for your comments, Kazuki." The reporter said jokingly in return. "The school's paper already got a two page spread interview on you."
"I thought you'd be interested anyway since you might run out of things to write," replied the carefree president of the student council. "I'm just doing you a favour right now as a friend, so don't come crying to me when it's near deadline and you need more scoop from our secretary."
"Oh Kazuki~ I know you wouldn't let that happen to me, would you?"
"Who knows?" Shiranui smirked at the reporter who is now in a begging gesture. This is one of those times that Shiranui enjoyed. Somewhere in him, he hoped that this would go on forever, but he knew it wouldn't be realistic.
"I gotta get going," Shirogane patted on his friend's shoulder, "you can have Madonna-chan now." Shiranui nodded. "Here," Shirogane extended his hand Yahisa, at the tip of his index finger and his thumb it held onto a candy, "a thank you treat for the interview~ Kuhihi~" Yahisa thanked him with a smile and he left without looking back.
Shiranui held out a bento box in front of his secretary. "This is from your childhood friend. He remembered that you'll be working late at the student council so he made it for you." It was a bento from Tohzuki. "He brought it over to the student council only to realize that you weren't there. Good thing I met Homare earlier, and he told me you're here with Oushiro." Yahisa was embarrassed by her missed appointment at the student council, and now she was even more embarrassed by the fact that the president had to be the one to bring her the dinner. "Don't worry about it, eat. You must be hungry."
Yahisa received the bento box from Shiranui and she started taking away the cloth wrapped around it. Tohzuki's culinary skills are famous in the school, so it wasn't a surprise that even Shiranui would be salivating at the smell of delicious food despite he just had his quick fix of dinner at the cafeteria. "Oushiro must've given you such a hard time, didn't he?" Yahisa paused from her meal but she couldn't speak because her mouth is filled with food. It was as though the president was saying this as a matter of fact, and continued without expecting the girl to respond. "He says he's weird, but he's actually a very nice person once you get to know him." He adjusted himself from a sitting position to lay his back onto the floor so he could look at the twilight sky – this always allows him to forget all the trouble in this world. "Though there are days I still find him weird no matter what," he added and Yahisa's soft chuckle could be heard.
"He is a very important friend to me."
This reminded Yahisa of the comment she gave earlier, "the president who is always looking out for the people around him". Yahisa stopped eating and she looked at Shiranui who lay on the floor next to her gazing at the sky. He never took his eyes off the sky.
"It would be great if we could be friends forever," he whispered quietly although the girl sitting next to him could hear it.
It sounded kind of odd to Yahisa because Shiranui is supposed to know what the future holds, if he doesn't then probably no one could. "Then again, there might be some things that even the almighty president can't see," she told herself.
"Sorry, I've been talking too much haven't I?" The grey hair president apologized. Yahisa shook her head while she packed the bento neatly back into the cloth. She lifted her head to the sky to admire the illuminations from millions of light years away. "Alright! I changed my mind!" Shiranui said enthusiastically. "We're gonna skip work and watch the stars!" Yahisa laughed at his Aries-like impulsiveness. "We'll start worrying when Hayato comes. And even when he comes, we'll just have to make him join us! Until then, let's just enjoy the stars and the sky!"
"Gladly!" Yahisa smiled at him.
It didn't take too long for Shiranui to realize Yahisa fell asleep. He got up and looked at the watch on his wrist. The shorter hand pointed neatly towards 9 and the longer hand pointed slightly past 4. He wondered if Hayato will be furious the next day and put him through a series of squeaky blackboard punishments. He sighed. Maybe if he is lucky, Hayato will be occupied by Tsubasa, he just got to make sure he won't be stuck in the same place at Tsubasa when that happens. Maybe if he worked hard and put in some extra time tomorrow, Hayato will forget about the punishments. Maybe he should go fishing the first thing in the morning with Oushiro so he wouldn't be back until late in the evening and Hayato won't be able to get him until the day after. Maybe…maybe- He smiled at the ideas he came up with, but he knew the answer already.
He looked at the girl who curled herself up next to him. She was smiling in her sleep. "The night wind in summer could be chilly," he thought and he puts his jacket gently on her. "I'd probably get a lot of complains from people if she catch a cold," he said to himself while removing a lock of hair from her face, "and I'll be fired from the position as her protector." He caressed the strand of hair in his hand and placed it neatly next to her.
"Tsukiko…" Shiranui suppressed his voice. "When would you be able to remember who I am?" Yahisa shifted as though she is responding to her own name in the sleep. "When the time comes, would you still be able to smile at me?" Guilt has filled Shiranui's voice as he clutched his chest with force. "It hurts", the pain that Shiranui carried with him ever since that day; the burden that he had to carry and one that he could never let go until the day he is forgiven. "Can we still laugh together just like today and any other days?"
"Thank you…" Shiranui thought he had woke up Yahisa, but it appeared that she was just talking in her dream. Nonetheless, he was surprised by her words. "President…Kazuki…" Shiranui put his hand on her forehead lightly. "No, thank you…Tsukiko. Thank you."
Not too far away from Yahisa and Shiranui, 26 candy wrappers laid neatly on the floor.
"It's too sweet."
The character in the dark picked another candy from his pocket and started to unwrap it.
"The stars…are, moving…"
Author's note: Thank you for your continuous support and reading this chapter. There may be some things that might not make sense just yet, but they will be answered later on in the story. Of course, if you think you know them then please keep it to yourself XD.
I would like to extend my thanks to merope and peaceful grace for their helpful comments and suggestions in this chapter.