Chapter 4
My first day in Rakuzan High was pretty normal.
The second too, my third day as well and so on.
I was also a 1st year like him but he was not my classmate.
He belonged to the top class, in section A unlike me who was only in section C.
But that made sense when I remembered what I read on his profile.
He owned the no. 1 rank in the examination results for almost all subjects.
He was smart, so so smart, a god-like brain, definitely.
Somehow, I pitied him for having to marry a girl with an average IQ.
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When I found out that he was not my classmate, I was really really glad. Thankful even because I will not be around with him during school hours.
To be honest, I didn't want to see him. I was scared. I didn't know what and how I would react if ever.
The memories were still fresh. He threatened me. He said, if I opposed him, he will kill me NO MATTER WHO I AM.
Since then, I'd been worrying a lot.
Was he serious?
Was it just a figure of speech?
No way. He was just a high-schooler, so impossible.
I could try scoffing my problem inside my head but picturing the face he used back then made me realize how serious he was.
That sent chills to my nerves.
Luckily, the fate seemed to side on me because I wasn't able to come across with him during my first month.
And that was the product of my own effort.
I kept my distance away at the gym knowing that he was on the basketball club, obviously that area was his territory.
I also avoided using the hallway that would make me pass by to his class room.
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I was not the sociable type of girl.
Most of the time, I would just sit and keep quiet while inside the room, eat quickly and alone at the cafeteria during lunch.
Then, after class, I'd just immediately go back to my hotel.
That was my new life routine and I thought that it would always be like that until my mid-second month.
One of my classmates started bugging me asking 'Why are you so quiet? Why are you always alone?'.
I answered her with 'That's just how I am.'
She gave me a pained expression from her face before saying "If you want, you can hangout with us." I dazed for a second wondering what she meant with that until few seconds later, I finally got the hint of her message. "Um…thank you but I'll humbly decli-"
"No! Just say yes!" She demanded. "I'm Naruka Kanri, just call me Kanri. Can I call you Izumi-chan?" She broadened her smile as she hopped closely to me. She took my hands and judging her face, I could tell that she was waiting for my answer.
I just sighed quietly before replying a "S-sure, why not" just to satisfy her.
The next day, she started talking and talking to me.
She kept asking a lot of questions, personal and not.
It happened when she suddenly joined me at the cafeteria during lunch break.
She asked me where I came from. I answered her " America" and then she questioned me again about my reason for transferring here.
"Marriage, fixed marriage." was my simple reply. She nodded and then framed a confused face asking who the person was.
I decided not to answer her but she insisted.
I wondered why she was being concern about that so I asked her. She told me that it was normal to share information with a friend.
I blinked, before repeating that word. "Friend"
She smiled and said "Yes, we are friends right."
Something inside me flutter when I heard that. It was like...somehow...those words made me happy. Like what I said, I wasn't the sociable type so friendship was one of the rarest relationship I ever had.
However, I tried my best not to make my happiness obvious.
"His name is Akashi Seijuro". I answered.
She dropped her jaw "W-What?"
"What's wrong?" I asked seeing how shock she became.
"H-he's popular here, you know…are you serious?"
I nodded. Popular? How did that happen?
"Wow, you're so lucky!" She said clasping my hand, her eyes were elated.
I narrowed my eyes repeating her words in my mind, 'Lucky, you say'.
"You don't know what you are saying." I said, my tone was disagreeing.
Marrying an intimidating person like him was far from being lucky. "He is scary." I added.
"Eh? He is smart, cool and a good player, oh hot too!" She retorted.
I rolled my eyes before standing up. "Thank you for your time, I'll go ahead first." I said bowing in her front before leaving.
In the end, it only made me doubt this new relationship I developed with someone.
Friend, huh? She was just the same as my father, only relying on the things they thought they knew.
I was aware of the fact that it was rude of me to leave her like that, but I had no choice. It was already my personal reflex whenever I encounter scenarios such as that one.
Regardless, she didn't stop talking and accompanying me until I finally became used to her presence that one time I realized I was okay having her with me that she was okay and that she was actually a friend.
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One day while we were doing a research at the library, she sat beside me and started blabbering about things I didn't think I should know like how some of our classmates were asking her to join a mixer and etc.
She also shared stories about her club, their activities and then at the end she asked me if I would like to join their club.
I declined immediately as I continued browsing through some books.
Then, I heard her sighed in boredom.
Few seconds later, she suddenly opened a topic about Akashi-kun.
I listened this time. Her chin was rested on her palm as she told me that she watched a practice match of basketball club yesterday against a different school. She said that Akashi-kun did a good job and he was also the reason why the team won.
He wasn't the captain for nothing, I thought.
Naruka-san also said that I should watch his match sometimes.
I just nodded.
She was right, but not for now.
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It was almost three months since I last met Akashi-kun.
I felt like I just succeeded on avoiding him.
I already recovered from what happened but despite that, I still preferred not to see him.
Maybe I was too afraid that he might say something like that again.
I didn't want to hear and be looked upon by those cold glares again.
I did say that I would do my best to get along with him to my father but for the meantime, while I was not yet officially engage with him, I would live on my own.
Yes, that was the plan, until that day.
When the fortune and luck finally ran out and left me.
That day while I was on my way back to my classroom after eating lunch, I finally saw him.
He was outside the cafeteria.
He was alone and judging his direction, he was probably heading to the gym.
If I continued my pace, we would end up meeting each other.
I wanted to hide while he was still far but I couldn't move my feet. It was as if my energy was suddenly consumed by the sands under my feet.
I swallowed hard when I saw him getting closer.
Fear engulfed me, as the scenarios some months ago came flashing one by one inside my head.
I gritted my teeth as I lowered my head. Maybe if I don't look at him, he might just ignore me and walk past like nothing happened.
I stared at the ground waiting for him to brush past on my side but saw his feet stopped in my front instead.
My knees trembled a little.
Why did he stop?
What does he want?
I kept asking myself without looking at him.
I tried my best to fix my eyes on the ground and nothing else, pretending oblivious about his presence.
"Izumi." I heard him say my name in an impassive tone.
I didn't answer as I swallowed hard,almost sweating.
"Raise your head." He said. I didn't know why but hearing his command made me follow. His voice was as if saying 'do it or else'.
I tilted up my head to eye him but surprisingly, he was different.
His lips was...kind of like...smiling?
No way!
But it really looks like one.
The end-corner of his lips was curved, forming a brief smile.
I expected him to be glaring so what was with that?
"I haven't seen you in a while." He muttered.
He was calm and his voice was kind. My mind was too puzzled that I didn't realize that he was waiting for my answer until he spoke again. "Something is wrong with you."
He probably noticed my restlessness around him. "I…I'm okay…" I managed to say even though I was clueless as hell.
Our eyes were fixed until he dropped the smile into his normal face. "I see, don't push yourself too much." He said before he left.
I watched his back until he disappeared from my sight wondering why his attitude was different from the Akashi I feared to meet.
What's with that sudden kindness?
My mind and thoughts about him were tangled.
I did my best to avoid him because I was scared.
Did I mistaken his personality for the past months?
I became curious and confused.
During and after class, my mind was still drowned with his action towards me. He was scary back then but he didn't seem that way a while ago.
In the hotel, I couldn't sleep at night.
Am I failing on my responsibilities? I asked myself.
I should be doing my best to get closer with him but it was like I was using his personality as an excuse.
On the next day, during break, I decided to visit his classroom.
I peeked from the side of his classroom's door.
He was there.
His classmates were talking with their own circle of friends as he accompanied his self with no one but himself alone while playing a board game that I think was called as Shogi. A Japanese version of chess.
I studied him quietly.
He was too serious on playing that but I wondered why he was doing it alone.
Why won't he ask someone to become his opponent. He just stayed like that until the bell rang.
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I began observing day by day without him knowing.
Most of the time, I would find him alone, playing Shogi.
And if not, he would definitely be at the gym, practicing.
Sometimes though, I would see him talking with his other classmates but it was just for a short time, like he was only asking the important things and not bothering with the useless information.
After class, before I went home, I would always take a look at the gym just to see or check what he was up to.
I realized few things about him.
He's always doing his best on playing. Or more like, Akashi Seijuro is always serious on everything he does. He isn't the kind of guy who likes to fool and have fun around.
I wondered if he was really like that.
I totally became a stalker to him. I did this because I wanted to know his true personality.
Was he really scary or he was actually a kind person? That was the biggest question inside my brain.
I continued observing him and as time passed by, I felt like I was starting to understand him a little.
He was a calm person.
Basketball and Shogi were the things that he usually do at school.
But, there was something I noticed that bothered me.
His eyes, they were different. I was not referring to the color. It was the expression of those two-colored orbs when he was alone.
One time, I saw him in a vacant room, playing Shogi again.
I decided to approach him.
When I stood beside him, he didn't wince. He wasn't surprised to my sudden appearance.
"Izumi, you've been following me for a long time now." He muttered, not removing his eyes on the board.
I blinked, in the end, it was me who became surprised. "If you knew, why you didn't stop me?" I asked.
"I know you have a reason." He said.
This person.
It took me a couple of seconds before I spoke, watching him as he moved the pieces. "Akashi-kun, can I ask why you're playing this game alone?"
He glanced briefly at me then back to the board. "Why would I want to play with someone who will just lose."
So confident. The way he said it was like saying that no one can ever defeat him.
"Why do you like basketball?" I asked again. I don't know but there was something I wanted to comprehend. I just didn't know how I would ask him and what words to use.
"To improve myself." Was the simple reply from him.
Not enough, I want to know what this thing that bothers me.
The expression on his eyes.
"Get it to the point, Izumi. What exactly do you want to say." He said, his tone slightly sent shivers to my skin.
As expected, it was like he knew what was running inside my mind.
"Are you worrying about something?" I literally asked him.
I inhaled and exhaled a long breath, "Following you for 3 weeks, I couldn't help but notice this. When you're alone, your eyes are different, like they're longing. I want to know. Are you worrying about something?" I ran my mouth and ended up saying everything I had thought.
He paused and stood up, "Some things are better left unknown Izumi." He replied coldly.
I gulped "…sooner" I looked him in the eyes "…I'll have to spend 24/7 of my life with you. At least, let me understand you." I said.
My voice was hardening, resisting and hiding the fact that I was starting to feel scared again because of that terrifying voice together with those fierce eyes.
"You don't need to understand me. We will get married and there's nothing more to it than that." He stated.
I frowned, "How could you say that?"
He sighed, "You're too naive Izumi." He said before turning his back from me to exit the room.
I scoffed.
I don't understand him.
He seemed like a person who uses different personality.
Calm. Kind. Scary.
What's with him.
I couldn't understand him at all.