A/N: Okay, first and foremost, I'd like to say or rather admit that I did feel that somehow I "ignored" this fic. But then, I feel resolved to continue it 'cause well, I started it. It's only proper that I develop the plot. Secondly, I'd like to apologize for the very long delay of my update on this fic…like 4 months I think. And in connection to that, I'm afraid, grammatical errors might be found in this chapter. As early as now, I'd like to request for some understanding. And lastly, rest assured that I'd continue this story no matter what…having said those things, I really do hope you'll have fun reading this as I did making it. Thanks!
The wind blew quite smoothly as it passed the two seated figures in one of the equally textured layers of the staircase.
Her locks played with the seemingly dancing caress as he took some stolen glances on the side of her face. They had stayed like that for a couple of minutes yet the unavoidable silence ate most of it.
"So, what was it that you're going to tell me?"
Finally relieving him of the burden to initiate any conversation, the blonde girl then asked.
He managed to at least arrange his frames as he tried to keep his cool. He knew what he had to say wasn't quite that of an importance nor does it need any form of urgency on either one's part. Taking her time too long, however, would sprout an impatience in her, and he knew he won't like to be the witness to that.
"The rumor…"
Somehow, his response caused a slight twitch on her, for the said girl, whose features were once calm and reserved, sighed at the topic opened up.
"What about it?" in a somewhat unaffected and deluded manner, she asked – still, her voice maintaining the balance and tone it always held.
"Do you have any leads…on the one who spread it?"
Another wind blew which caused a chill.
"None." A single word…plain yet direct. Kikuchi couldn't help but be amused for such a response coming from her. So much of it that he failed to suppress the chuckle which somehow struggled to escape his lips. This, of course, never escaped the scrutinizing eyes of his companion.
"What? Anything funny?" sarcastic in a way, she then darted her eyes towards the brown-haired boy seating a comfortable distance from her.
It took a few more minutes before he was able to respond. The mood was still light and the air – acceptable.
"Kanzaki..." he then turned to face her – his frames just hanging by the edge of his nose tip.
"…all this while I never thought you'd be the last person to know of your enemies." Having said these, he stood up from his seat. For a moment he dusted the tiny residues of the staircase layer and afterwhich, took hold of his bag. Getting a piece of folder, he then handed it over towards Kanzaki.
"What's that?" she asked, the seriousness once more on her face.
"Take it."
With much assurance from him, she then took it but never peeked on its contents. She just stared at it for a good few minutes before facing him again. Her eyes – inquiring.
"I made some research. It would be wise if you look it up tonight." he then replied as he placed the strap of his bag on his shoulder, obviously, preparing for his leave.
"Let me just ask you one thing…"
He for another time, turned his face towards the girl. She still had her head bowed down and her eyes focused on what she was holding.
"Tell me…" lifting her chin up, she locked her eyes with his…which somehow caused a stir in him – like that of a bolt on his spine.
"…did you really think I should pay much attention or devote my time to find out their whereabouts or even unveil their identities? Should I kill my time that way or should I opt to make use of it for other things of utmost importance?"
For a moment, he stopped all motion within him. And as he stared at her eyes, he couldn't help but feel the gravity of the message she intended to send…of her innermost thoughts on the matter. He could not take it longer so he immediately shifted his gaze elsewhere. This act alone earned a chuckle from the blonde who, herself, stood up and meet his level.
"Sorry, I don't think this will be of use to me but to compensate for the effort you exerted in making this, I shall keep it." with a voice crisp and clear, she said.
Her eyes stared blankly at the road ahead. The façade of this structure they call a school kept with it an extraordinary cool – an exposure to the outer elements particularly that of nature's.
Turning just the side of his face, he could not seem to decipher what Kanzaki was thinking as of that moment.
"What would you like to do about it then?" he, at least, managed to ask.
She faced him again but this time, carried a smile on her face. No matter how warm her smile appeared, the opposite could be said of the tone she had with her voice – cold and sinister.
"Don't worry about me. By now you should know, I can handle myself very well."
Not waiting for another response from the young man, she then carried her bag and walked on – fully intending to leave him behind.
He, on the other hand, simply stood her and watched her back in its fading. He knew she was capable of doing unimaginable things yet the extent of which no one was well aware of. Though she changed her ways dramatically since Onizuka came in the picuture, the truth remained – she was a threat to all order built up by strict school policies and rules. She was like a bomb waiting to explode at the right time…unpredictable and whose damage was immeasurable.
"Kanzaki…"
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Entering that structure she called her home, she felt a very familiar friend welcome her being...a friend whose name was "loneliness". As she walked through the hollow and obviously seemingly deserted house, she shouted in a cheery manner: "I'm home!". She was like a child – a child wanting the attention of everyone.
No matter how loud her pitch might have nor how long she shouted those words again and again, the silence in that place was deafening. So much so that the only echoes that could be heard were those created by the soles of her shoes. Without it, it was plain silence.
No one was there…no one ever was.
Walking further across the inner halls, she found herself at the foot of the long staircase. For a while, she stared up and adorned the majestic structure before her eyes…joyous – if not for the gloomy condition of the house. That mansion was filled with antiques and other luxurious belongings yet it lacked the warmth necessary to liven the place. It turned out a cemetery instead of a warm retreat.
She then proceeded towards her room. Her once pleased disposition slowly turned grey and dull as indifference overwhelmed her once more.
Upon entering her room, she proceeded at once towards her desk where she laid her things – her books and the like. She never bothered to illuminate the room – somehow, a part of her wanted the inevitable bluntness and coldness the room possessed. It was an eerie feeling but not taboo to her senses. She was used to this kind of atmosphere and she found no reason to change it.
It was in times like these that she felt truly herself – no lies, no deception. Alone, she found solace with herself – herself whom she'd always been with…always in constant battle with. No matter the changes that took place, she still was, and would always be, unchanged.
Still in her uniform, she laid her weary body onto the bed. Sliding her eyes to a close, she wished that all her nightmares would fade through the course of this spell they call "sleep". For deep within her, she sought for a rest she knew would not be given to her without an equally valued cost.
A small knock was heard from the door. It echoed through the walls of her confinement as slowly, she fluttered her eyes open. She lifted her obviously disturbed body and glance momentarily at the clock that lay right next to her bed.
"Barely ten minutes…" she whispered as another knock was heard.
She stood up and stretched her seemingly exhausted body. Lazily, she walked across the room and just in time, reached the door. She opened it as small rays of light entered through her room.
"What?" she asked – hints of annoyance evident in her tone.
"Your tutor is here. Should I let him up?"
It was a maid who carried with her that big smile on her face. Irritating? It appeared to be for Kanzaki yet she simply tried to hold onto her patience a while longer. Regaining control over her senses, she simply nodded her head and as instantly, closed the door shut.
She did not need any tutor lessons. She just went with it due to the insistent persistence of her 'mother'. She had these in her mind as she sleepily wandered her way towards the bathroom. A little shower would be enough to wake her up – at least for the duration of two hours, the length of her tutorial classes. It had always been like this in most evenings especially that of weekdays.
Fixing her damp hair and changing into her usual clothes – plain shirt with shorts – she felt drowsiness slowly creep over again. Tempted by it, she walked her way towards her soft cushions but even before she could lay herself to rest, unfortunately for her, another knock was heard. This time, however, it was coupled with a voice – a very familiar voice.
"Kanzaki?"
She straightened her back and walked towards the door instead. Slapping her cheeks to wake her up, she then opened the door.
"Come in." was all she said as she walked back towards her desk. He entered with the slightest footsteps imaginable and as carefully, laid his things on a sofa nearby. He then sat beside it as he arranged some pens, notebooks and other books.
After a few minutes, he then stood up and approached her.
"Ready?" he asked to which she nodded.
He then laid down pieces of papers in front of her – printed papers with equations all over them. Urumi looked at each one and then faced him with a very bored look.
"Again? Haven't I been doing these for the past weekend?" she asked, rather, complained to which he held a stern look.
"I want to see your solutions, not just your answers."
After handing her the necessary materials, he then returned to the sofa and took a seat on it. He brought with him a magazine to keep him company while she did the tests he prepared.
It didn't take even thirty minutes before she called his attention once more.
"Done. Now, are we finished?" she hurriedly asked as he approached her and leaned on her desk. Somehow, his body over hers caused something within her. She didn't quite understand it at first but when she looked up to see his face, she felt hers heat up.
"What's this?" she thought to herself as she found the both of them in an awkward position. She was sitting on a chair and he leaned on her desk from her side…and the scene made her feel a little weird – especially the contact his skin made with hers…even just the arm.
"Kanzaki, I think you should redo this last problem. The answer's correct but it seemed that you played with the solution…" he then said. He looked down at her and noticed the slight shades of pink across her cheeks. Then, their eyes met. This, too, caused a slight blush on his part that he immediately stood up straight and walked back towards his seat.
"Just do it…the last problem…" he said without glancing at her.
"Yeah…" was all she could say as a response, the redness on her cheeks slowly subsiding.
Not a minute has passed since when she called him back. He approached her at once and this time, was careful not to land on the same position as earlier.
"Good." he commented as he collected the papers from her desk.
"Then are we done?" she asked yet again. This time, he nodded as he placed the papers back to his bag.
She then walked towards her bed and laid down.
With her eyes closed, she imagined different things. Somehow, in his presence, the events earlier didn't matter.
"Rye…" she called out.
He then looked at her resting figure as he tried to avoid the lower part of her body.
"What?" he responded.
"Could you dim the lights?"
He then stood up and did as he was asked. Returning once more to his seat, he couldn't stop himself but look at her direction. It seemed she was peaceful at her sleep but then, he knew something was bothering her.
"What? Aren't you too young to be my daughter's tutor?" A woman on her 30s then said upon taking hold of the brown envelope's contents.
"I maybe young but I think I have all the qualifications to apply for the job." Neatly dressed in a coat and long-sleeved polo shirt, he then replied. For a while, the woman took a sip from her cup – still reviewing the papers she held on.
"And to add from my educational background, I considered enrolling myself at the same school she's been in to gain a firsthand experience on that school's level of education." he added to which she simply nodded her head.
After a few more long pauses and ultimately consuming the whole contents of the cup, she then came up with a decision.
"Mr. Rye Sudders, you'll start on Monday. I expect good results and when they're not met, I won't hesitate to fire you."
"Don't worry ma'am, I won't fail you or your expectations.
A hurdled snorting was heard from the seemingly sleeping young woman. He then stood up from his seat and looked on at her still figure. She must have been really tired this day for never had he seen her like that.
As he looked on at her features, he tucked a small strand of her hair on her ear.
"Hey Rye! Have you heard the rumor?" cried a similarly tall guy as he caught up with the said young man.
"No, and you know I'm not interested in things like that." he then closed the cover of his locker as he walked on the corridors. The other guy seemingly ignored what he said earlier for he still followed Rye around wherever he went.
And due to his insisting, Rye gave up.
"All right, what about that rumor?"
"It should interest you…it involves that hot genius chick…"
"Genius…chick?" Rye then clarified as an image of a girl appeared on his mind.
"Yeah, the blonde one. Well, who would have thought she had it in her! I mean, sure she's hot but with a teacher…"
"With a teacher? What did she do?" was all he could ask. Truly, this was one news which caught his interest.
"It's more like…what did they do? You see, yesterday afternoon, this student was walking across the corridors when he heard some rustles somewhere near the faculty room. He peeked inside and guess what he saw?"
Rye then felt silent as the information he was being given affected his mood.
"Well, just so you know, he saw that girl on top of a teacher…I think it was Onizuka-sensei and the girl was…"
"Kanzaki Urumi…" Rye suddenly blurted out. He really was in no mood that time.
"Yeah, that's her. The student then left the area for fear he might get caught. If I was him, I'd get a video of the whole scene. It would be one big scandal…"
"Look, forget it! Those are just rumors spread by a kid. Only fools believe in things like that!" in an angry tone, without him noticing, he suddenly replied.
"What's with you, Rye? You act as if you're affected…geez, that was just the latest buzz around…"
Realizing his sudden outburst was uncalled for, her then excused himself from the conversation.
"I'm just going for some fresh air." Rye then ended as he went away.
He sighed at the memory. He knew he should have controlled his temper but then, when it came to Urumi, somehow, he felt no other person had any right to spread false things about her. Though he was aware of the different things she did in the past, he still held onto the fact that she changed for the better now and that those things could be prevented and in his case, controlled.
Aloud beeping sound then echoed through the room. Of course, this alone startled him that he immediately took his phone from his bag and turned it off. It was an alarm – signifying the end of their tutorial lessons that night.
Sighing relief, he then turned around, only to be welcomed by a newly awake Kanzaki.
"Sorry, did I wake you up?" he immediately apologized as he bowed his head.
"It's all right. I have to appear awake now, should I? If I didn't walk you out to the door, my mother would think I just played and never attended my lessons. I certainly do not want that."
He then lifted his head as he himself stretched his body.
"Let's go then…" he invited to which she returned a nod.
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The air was cool that night as a breeze stroked their hairs gently. With his bag on, he faced her and bade her goodbye. She did the same as she waved back at him.
"Kanzaki…" he then called out, before fully leaving the place.
She simply stood there and waited for him…for whatever it was he was going to say.
"As I've said, if there's anything that bothers you, I'm just around." with this, he proceeded on.
Slowly, his back disappeared from her sight. He was gone now, somewhere on the road to his home. Though he was living a few blocks away, she couldn't deny the fact that she wished he had stayed longer. He always had this air of mystery in him and she felt safe in his presence.
In her reverie, another image appeared in her mind.
"Oni…zuka?"
Why did he suddenly appear out of nowhere? Whenever she thought of Rye, she couldn't help but have Onizuka there as well. She then decided to let the night pass. Maybe, this was all the effect of the things circulating at school.
The very moment Rye stepped out of her house, she knew it would be back to the same fleeting loneliness – her atmosphere that is.
And as she looked up at the skies, another thought dashed through her mind. Her eyes – fiery and unresolved. Her being did not completely forget things that instantly…
"Whoever you are…you shall pay dearly…"
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