Love, Or Something Like It
Chapter Four
Ten minutes later, class rep Gumi had been brave enough to coerce Neru out of the restroom. Gumi had a certain… charisma about her that was very persuasive.
Her honeyed tones, gentle and understanding, had gone a little like- "Please come out, Akita-san. Or do you prefer Neru-san…? Neru-chan?"
"Don't be so over-familiar," Neru had replied, in clipped tones.
"Sorry, sorry! Akita-san. But you're worrying Kaito-sensei."
"I don't care."
"Maybe you don't understand the gravity of the situation…? He looks kind of like he's going to strangle himself with his muffler. If you don't come out, he might actually die. Unless Sakine-sensei kills him first, for being unable to handle his class."
And, following that short exchange, Neru had (eventually) emerged; cell phone still in hand, scowl still in place.
"I just wouldn't want this guy-" she pointed one pale finger, elegantly manicured, at the near-hyperventilating Kaito (Teto was cheerily offering him a paper bag), "-to die on my account. That would be too pathetic."
Now, the 'Eternal Grouch' and the exasperated teacher were stood at the front of the classroom. The addition of Akita Neru was being paraded to the student body-unfortunately, she did not seem to like parading any more than she liked… Well…
Absolutely everything she'd ever seen in her whole life, ever, apparently.
"Alright then, Akita-san. Would you care to introduce yourself to your classmates?" asked Kaito.
"…"
Apparently, Akita Neru would not care to talk to anyone; be it Kaito or the 30+ students sat in eager anticipation (well… the lecherous-type boys were leering, and Teto was so eager she was bouncing about in her seat, but nobody else seemed overtly bothered. Miku and Gumi both wore twin expressions of feigned, polite interest, but that was it. Rin was busy imagining ((and salivating)) over the mandarins in her bento, and Yokune Ruko had actually fallen asleep).
"Come on, Akita-san," said Kaito, desperate to wring an answer from the stoic Neru. "Surely you must have something to say?"
"…"
Kaito winced. If one had been standing very, very close to him, they would've heard the pathetic, kicked-puppy 'awww' sound he made.
"…Please?"
There was a long pause.
Beep beep beepNeru had taken her cell out of her skirt pocket.
"Oh no," said Miku sadly, observing Kaito with the upmost sympathy on her pretty face. Her fingers were splayed across her mouth, a perfect little 'o', like a spaghetti hoop. "Poor sensei! I feel so sorry for him…"
Miku had a strange, inexplicable love for weird, unloved creatures. That would explain her long-standing friendship with Yowane Haku. And her four-eared cat.
"Alright, um, Neru-san," said Kaito, giving up on the 'teacher-student' bonding thing (it's sort of difficult to 'bond' with someone who obviously hates your guts, and would no more save you from a speeding car than they would jump off a fifty foot bridge, naked, in winter). "Why don't you sit down next to, um… Kagamine-san?"
Rin looked up.
"N-no, not that Kagamine-san. The boy one. Len!"
Rin scowled. Of course, the new girl would sit next to Len. Len wasn't considered a bad influence; Len wouldn't lead the 'darling' Neru-chan astray; Len had never locked Kaito in the supply closet for a dare (Rin sniggered. Yeah, that had been funny… Apart from the bit where Miku got all teary-eyed and super-serious, and Kaito knocked over a can of paint-thinner and nearly suffocated on the toxic fumes. But, whatever).
Geez, Kaito may well have said 'no, don't sit next to Rin! She's lazy and doesn't try and has perpetually messy hair!'
Rin clenched her fists.
"H-hey, Rin-san, what's wrong?" Miku asked softly, quirking her turquoise brows in worry. "Do you feel sick?"
"H-huh?" Rin blinked, unaware of her bitter expression. Was it really that noticeable…? "I'm sorry, I'm just not feeling on the ball today! A few fries sort of a Happy Meal, y'know?" Rin smiled, cheeks flushing, as she bonked herself on the side of her head with a balled-up fist.
"Um… No?" Miku returned her smile. "But I'm glad you're okay."
"Yeah. I'm fine."
And anyway, Rin thought, trying to organise her musings, I haven't got any reason to be upset. I make fun of Len because he's so bo~ring and stuff! I should be glad that he's the one the teachers all love and adore- it shows I'm not a total teacher's pet, right? Hahaha! That's it! I shouldn't worry! Hmn, maybe I ate some bad meat last night or somethin', and it's making me think all funny…
Rin rested an elbow on her desk, head propped up in her hands, and watched mutely as Neru took the seat beside Len. As she turned her head- presumably to listen to something Len had to say- her killer ponytail arced through the air, nearly decapitating the still-snoozing Ruko one desk back.
"Miku…" asked Rin slowly, eyebrows scrunched together. "Have you ever killed anyone with your hair?"
"…No?" Miku looked innocently surprised.
a.n: My chapters they are so short O: Idk, it seemed like a good place to leave off. Fsssh, I can't plot to save my life XD I'm more of a 'Let's write random crap and see what happens yayyyyyy!!!' kind of person XD U-um, no RinLen yet? I'm sorry O: I am a failure. As a human being. I'll go cry in my corner now kthxbye C: Ehh~ I'm mainly only writing this 'cause it's fun and a nice stress relief from doing coursework and revising XD