CHAPTER 1 – AKA'S STORY

ROLLING JACK OF TRADES

Mornings were always glorifying, and so as the rooms of the school. The sunlight passes through the faces of the students, and so as the members of the club. It had been awfully cheerful many times when the people were fuming bubbly because of the events, and this year, they have decided to make something pretty entertaining.

Aka slouched quietly on the couch while not minding Kazama's papers, and so as his steady drinking cup of coffee. She had her eyes closed and had an indifferent look after hearing and observing some noises that nosed outward, which was defiling her silent thinking. Either way, she didn't really mind it. She just wanted to relax after having a small bump on their flooring thanks to Shiranui's waking.

Kazama broke the silence. "Why aren't you at class?" his voice was stern and lax, sluggish yet quite strong appealing.

Her small little way curls of her red hair bounced little while she turned her head to face him. "It's because I don't want to go to class, Chikage nii-sama." She was straight to that, making the council president pause his drinking. "Blame Shiranui for waking me up badly, now I am not on the mood to go and see anyone at the moment."

"Then idiot, what are you doing here?" he questioned back, making a point but then she grunted to it and ignored the notorious question. "I didn't enroll you in this school to do whatever you want here. I allowed permission to your access through the principal's office and my offices as well, so do not take advantage of that." He crossed his legs to that and leaned at the comfortable couch too while having an indifferent look. "If you're upset about something you can hurt others but not inside the school campus."

She frowned to that. "It's not like that at all… I was just not feeling well."

"I am quite suspicious of why you changed a lot after studying for a whole year in this school. Should I accept Sen's offer of transferring you –"

"No!" she mumbled and stood up. "I'm fine!" However, her response more made the other cock a brow, because she acted too alert. "I'm fine in this school; I just need to… adjust on a few things, that's all." She even mustered up on her normal smiles while fixing her uniform. "Seriously… I'll attend the next class then if you're not convinced." She added another but then avoided his looking.

Kazama glared at her. "If you want~" he made his response short and simple, so he can observe on her more. "I thought it's going to be you whining over your engagement with Iyori again." He suddenly postponed his drinking too.

"Oh and that too – are you serious?" she asked earning a look. "…Iyori's a good person but you know he's so… uh…" she fidgets slightly to that. "Well like that, and I think other girls deserve him better than I do. I am alright with my life and I don't like to be married after school yet." She added more towards him.

"Nobody's better obsessed with you than him, so I gave the hand." He said but with a smirk, making her grunt again. "Enjoy your school life with your other friends and the like but this goes forward, unless if you give me someone else better."

Someone else better? What is he trying to say? It was puzzling, "… I am not in to this." She troubled responded back, knowing that this argument won't really lead to her convincing him. She tried it many times but then Kazama's holding her in line, so she didn't spoke about it further anymore. "I want a cup of what you're having now then if you don't mind." She added, and then sat down again.

"Make one yourself."

"Eh!?"

He smirks. "I won't make you one."

Anyhow, the brunette didn't win again with this debate but she's just lucky that the brother of hers didn't ask of her weird change of action. It really started way back there with a man named Hijikata Toshizou and then the girl named Yukimura Chizuru. However, she wishes not to expose further to that, since it is a sad experience.

School bell rings. It should be the signal of the first break.

It was too noisy. Even after the short while and the classes that ended sooner was too fast. Maybe the school itself just loves the subject called 'recess'? Who knows, one would think. As for the students, they have their own business. Typically everyone in the academy had its own business, specifically those at the school gymnasium.

"Kazama's gonna kill you if you keep on being like this."

"Stop following me, Shiranui."

Shiranui growled irritated while ruffling his hair. "You know! You! I'll kill you!" he grunted more, as if he would crush the other person's tiny neck with both of his hands, but then calmed down after gritting his teeth for some time, hearing no response. Tough woman, didn't even budge when I can just suffocate her. He shrugged the idea but continued to follow her for three strict reasons: 1) It was Kazama's order, 2) He's the 'best friend' and 3) He wanted to make sure Hijikata won't hurt her feelings. What a pretty reliable best friend, though he's a typical ass.

On second thought, being silent wasn't really effective. "If Kazama didn't tell me to do this, I would have sworn I left you. Why am I even watching over a spoiled crybaby." He muttered with a low pout, definitely not minding those students who took some effort greeting him while he passes. "Oi Aka! Are you even listening to me!"

Aka grunted back covering her ears while rolling her eyes to shift to the side. "Yes I can, I am not deaf." She muttered low noticing the other students who were at the halls slightly gossiping about them. She didn't hiss on the others, but it was too obvious that she's guarded. In fact she's wearing the semi-uniform of the president and she can mingle around, depending on her mood. Strangely speaking, she's still officially a third year student. "The fact that you've been tailing me makes the people think that you're my dog or something, are you okay with that, secretary Shiranui? " She stressed that further.

"O-Of course not!" he responded fast but then avoided the look. "Don't play coy with me. I don't want to get in trouble."

She smirked with a sly smile. "I know, I love you too."

"C-Che! Naze watashi ha anata ji shiranai!" ("I don't even know why I am following you!") Shiranui cannot deny that her way of smiling and working things were pretty like Kazama's so he didn't bother. Anyhow after seeing her turn, the violet haired secretary smothered, shoving his hands on his pockets while hearing some noises. He hissed quietly. "Just because you're a girl and you're Kazama's sister…" he didn't make it out further.

Not too far from their place is the gymnasium. Both of them can hear most of the students' noises. "Well, the idiots are partying perhaps on the gymnasium." He shrugged more.

"How did you know? Did you even play there?"

"Yeah – but I only play with Kazama, Amagiri, and your obsessed fiancé, then the rest of the higher class. I don't need to match with students. Besides, they can't take me on." He proudly said while he smiles and then raised his hands up to stretch a little. "Ah, where are you eating?"

Aka looked at him monotone. "Hajime-kun and I are eating together. I told him that." She says and pushed the other male aside. "You go with Amagiri-sensei and then confess your sins, while I eat, alright?"

"Eh? With the prefect!?" he cocked his brow a little while being forced over by a smaller brunette, but growled more. "Oi, I know you. You won't eat with a prefect without any benefit. Hey, act pretty mature!" he added, spitting words out of some concrete meaning that only both of them would understand, but still, he's being pushed over and ignored. "Oi!"

"Akachan anata ga shitte iru watashiha chigimasu!" ("I'm not a baby anymore, I know!") She hissed and then left them there, while she goes to run for it, and swiftly turned back. She kept on running to the halls; mind her so-called best friend complaining later about it. Chikage nii-sama's surely making my life miserable and troublesome, this is too shackling. She once thought that the sadist president was doing it on purpose, but then it was not it. She figured that she feels guilty not telling him anything real about the past year.

She kept on running for awhile, towards the cafeteria since she did remember that. Aka didn't dilly-dally on turning sides anymore, and actually didn't mind anyone. Those who even dared look at her like that were technically ignored. She was just too focused on having her sly promise made, knowing that he's a friend. It was too ironic that he looked like her fiancé, but he was different.

Another clumsy bump! Being lighter than expected, the red haired brunette clumsily landed her butt on the floor, feeling the slight pain but actually didn't scowl on it. She spoke definite. "What the-?! Watch where you're going!"

"You watch where you going!"

There was already a conflict hiss in between the voices, until the red head's look turned on a different mood. Toshizou!? She didn't query much on her emotions anymore and then stood up immediately, those two looking at each other having a division in a different manner. "Hmp!" she ignored him and then dusted herself, not planning to speak further anymore.

Hijikata snorted with the attitude. "Hey, you were the one who fell down, what's with the reaction?" he questioned. Somehow he was still her friend.

"You were blocking the way." She responded and avoided eye contact.

"You were in a rush, and running isn't allowed here in this area!" he said pissed of what he heard from her. He still doesn't get why she shifted differently on the treatment. They weren't like this before.

"Nobody can dictate me that – because it's an emergency."

"What's your problem?"

"You are my problem!"

Fighting with the words – yes, they were both definitely good complainers. Hijikata blinked his eyes, seeing that this won't go through but he was a little troubled with her scowling. No matter what, he still felt worried. Everyone says that; he even worries about strangers. "Aka!" he said, also knowing her attitude.

Knowing that this was no good, the brunette turned her head away and then ran on the other direction instead. She didn't even give a slight response to that and kept on running, her feet leading her to an unknown direction. She gritted her teeth to that. What is your problem, Aka Shirabuki? Why are you even avoiding him showing that you're too affected? Why are you feeling this way!? Sudden thoughts came out of her head.

"…" The raven haired male was left speechless with that, watching the girl run away. "Aka's getting weirder and weirder the more I see her." He quotes inward, but troubled at the same time. He decided to walk on the halls instead. What did I do anyway? Even if it was a small thing, it honestly bothered him. He wasn't used to it – usually Chizuru and her would be tailing him most of the time, but now it felt different. On the other hand, despite thinking of these things, he blinked his eyes seeing someone he knew with a rather strange appearance. "Sannan-senpai, what happened to your ha-"

"Don't ask." It was a quick response from him, walking more.

"… Sanada?"

"Yeah."

"Figures." The male shrugged off making the slight fidgety face, like saying 'it was the end of the story'.

Silence covered the room more. It was actually a lone area, only with the prefect chairman on the seat. Notes were written further on the slightly empty notebook, only with those about homework. It was a moment of solitude for the male, wearing his reading glasses and allowed him self to do the other part of the work. The other prefects were dismissed thoroughly and lunch approached quite some time.

"I'm so sorry!"

The male fixed his glasses and blankly looked at the other one. "Aka-chan –"

"I kind of slipped again didn't I?" Aka mumbled lower with a little sad tone while she looks next. "I'm very sorry if I always break my time with you, it's just that-"

"Calm down."

"…Ok."

Saito looked at her as he stood up and then closed his notes. "I didn't mind about it much." He stated blunt and firm, earning blinks from her red eyes while he blankly speaks again. "I understand anyhow if it's too hard for you."

"Not really, I figured out that I'll eat with you so Shiranui cannot interrupt me eating… or Iyori. Sometimes the guys are annoying." She honestly confessed and sighed while looking at the room, and moved forward to the window area. She blanks her eyes hinting quite a small sadness recalling what she has done before. Good thing she didn't catch up. For some minutes, it remained awkward like that, which forced her to speak again and give another one of her smiles. "Ah, let's eat. I'll treat you at the cafeteria." She notes.

He shook his head a little. "I still have to finish these things." He says. However, when he said this thing, the brunette already pulled his hand and then started dragging him. "!" The prefect didn't really expect that. But lunch is already about to end soon and… he thinks quietly.

"Don't act like Iyori, will you? Aren't you contented that you look alike? Come, eat with me." The brunette insisted, not facing him and walked forward.

Strong words from the female were heard, which made the prefect flinch and got dragged out more. As the door opens, he tried to think of ways on how Iyori and he would really look alike. No matter what he does, he cannot accept that – the two have a cold war though it wasn't really obvious. He even sacrificed his beautiful hair in front of her just to tell that, but one thing bothers him: 'Why did I do that for her?' Until now, the question is still hanging on his mind.

Eitherway, Aka didn't realize that lunch time was actually over, and she's been taking her time running to circles. The moment they went at the cafeteria, the chairs were fixed and there was no food left.

"… I told you. Lunch is over."

"Oh."

"…" He blinks. "Can you please let go off me now?"

The brunette let go off the male prefect quickly and coughed fakely. "… So it means, I owe you again?" She earns a nod. "… Hajime. I'm really, really sorry." She said and gave a fidgety smile while being slightly embarrassed, her face blushing red and quite pink. It was pretty noticeable by the prefect but he didn't show any further reaction to that. "I'll really get it next time don't worry so-"

"AKA SHIRABUKI!"

"Oh god."

Those strange footsteps. That voice. That hair. That damn uniform. She couldn't have any words to describe the running freak. She pretended like she didn't recognize it and then shift away running from Saito. "I'm sorry Hajime –kun! I promise next time! Not now!" she says too troubled, her voice fading while running at the other sides.

"Come back here, you bitch!"

END OF CHAPTER 1

Tags: Hakuouki SSL, OC, fanfiction | Writer: Gannello