Study groups, cooking classes, swimming pools, transfer students, and...a confession!? (*le gasps*)
Yeah, we're skipping all that.
…
…
…
..What? Tsugumi won't be there, and it happens exactly the way it does in the show/manga. It'd be boring and unnecessary to write.
Well, all that aside... Here I am with this fic's 4th consecutive update!
...
...
...
...Wow, I really should update my other stuff.
But until then, here's Chapter 3!
Undisclosed Location
Abandoned Warehouse
May 20, 2014
11:59 P.M.
(*KTCK…KTCK…KTCK*)
A white-haired man in a pink suit stood amidst the rubble in silence, the only noise being the rather loud (*tick tick tick*) of his watch. He checked it again, as the clock struck twelve.
(*FMP*)
Two figures blurred to the ground before him, one of the figures in a kneeling position, the other comfortable with simply standing.
"You called for us, Claude-sama?" spoke the kneeling one.
"Ah, Seishirou-kun," he said, as the assassin stood up, "Right on time."
"It's no coincidence," grumbled the standing blond, "We stood on the roof for about 15 minutes, waiting for midnight to come around."
The man sweatdropped, before continuing.
"I appreciate that you were able to meet me on such short notice. I heard that your mission to North Korea was a success."
She nodded. She'd actually only been home about 2 minutes before Claude had called them out here.
"This," he held out the picture, "...is your next target."
She frowned, "Ichijou Raku? The heir to the Shuuei-gumi?"
The blond caught a glimpse of the image of the boy, "Cross? Why're we going after him?"
Of course, the reason was obvious. Claude despised the teen with a burning passion. Naruto was simply playing along.
"As you may have heard," he said, pushing up his glasses, "...our Young Mistress has begun dating this man?"
The girl visibly blanched, "W-What!?"
"Oh?" Naruto tilted his head innocently, "You haven't heard? The two are quite the couple!"
The woman growled, crushing the picture in frustration.
"But…"
She looked up, waiting for him to proceed.
"Their behavior has proven to be rather suspicious. I suspect that he may be taking advantage of her."
She gripped the crumpled paper even harder.
"The bastard! I won't forgive him for this!"
"Furthermore," Claude wasn't done, "He's a little weakling. A barn animal who isn't worth a wad of dung, a pathetic gutless hog-boy, a pig who's short and vulgar and scum and poor and it's like he was raised by monkeys and he's worse than a cesspool of excrement that has no balls…"
The man continued his rant for a good 10 minutes, before he was interrupted.
"-Look. We get it. You hate the guy," Naruto interjected, lest they be subjected to another twenty minutes of this, "What's your point?"
"Ah, my apologies," the man muttered, "I'm afraid I've gotten a little worked up over the Ojou dating that swine."
He turned to face them, "I cannot handle this situation alone. The time has come to put your skills to the test, my protege."
"I'm confident you can save our precious Mistress from the grasp of that despicable little scum-sucking…"
"Dude," the blond cut him off again, "What's your point?"
"You two have been registered as transfer students at Bonyari High," he said, "I was able to get the both of you into their class. The rest is up to you."
He pushed up his spectacles once again.
"Get to the bottom of this. I'm counting on you."
Seishirou, who'd stood in shock and silence throughout the meeting, merely nodded.
"Consider it done," she muttered, as she walked off.
Her partner lingered for a few moments, before speaking up.
"That watch of yours is rather beaten up," he said, "And it makes a ton of noise. Why're you still holding onto it?"
I was true. The ticking of the watch's second hand was rather audible; it echoed throughout the warehouse. It was quite old too, and the noise it made would be dangerous to take on a mission.
The man gave a small smile.
"Simple. It was a gift from her."
The blond stood in silence before nodding, heading off in the direction his partner went.
Bonyari High
Class 1-C
May 21, 2014
8:24 A.M.
"Huh? Transfer students!?"
Shu sat atop the desk in front of Chitoge and Raku, who'd just spoken.
"Seems like it. I heard it was super sudden too," grumbled the dirty blond (no pun intended), "The student council wasn't even informed 'till this morning. That's why they didn't announce it."
He looked over to his fellow blonde, "Just like you were, Kirisaki-san."
The girl blinked, as he continued.
"Anyway, I heard they're guys," he griped, "One of 'em is supposed to be a complete bishonen pretty boy, and the other's supposed to be a 'total hunk'. What a snorefest!"
"Man, you're easy to read…" Raku mumbled.
"Well, I look forward to meeting them!" said Chitoge happily.
"I don't. All I have are bad memories when it comes to transfer students."
A fist was held to his cheek, "What'd you just say?"
"...Nothing. Not a damn thing."
Shu narrowed his eyes at their behavior, but took his seat as class began to start.
"Alright class!" called Kyoko, "We have new students! Come on in you two."
And in walked the BeeHive duo.
Tsugumi wore her usual blazer, dress shirt, tie, and slacks. And as usual, said clothing was loaded with all kinds of deadly weapons.
Naruto wore the signature male uniform of Bonyari, but with a few adjustments. His jacket was much longer, sleeves rolled up, and had what almost appeared to be coattails. It hung around him like his old sage cloak. A simple rope was strung through the belt-holes of his pants, and was tied in a knot at the center. The upper part of his dress shirt was open three buttons, exposing a bit of his chiseled torso. He also had a cloth headband with an orange Uzu swirl on it, keeping the hair out of his eyes and replacing his Konoha hitai-ate.
"Hajimemashite. I'm Seishirou Tsugumi. Pleased to meet you all."
"Hey there! The name's Uzumaki Naruto! Nice to meetcha' dattebayo!"
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
There were plenty of cheers from rabid fangirls at the two's introduction.
"OMG! He's so cute!"
"Is he a model?"
"His face is so perfect!"
"The one on the left's such a cutie!"
The squealing stopped at that.
"What're you talking about Keiko? The one on the right's so much hotter!"
Another spoke up, "No way! The Tsugumi-kun is way cuter!"
Then another, "Are you kidding!? Naruto-kun is so much better looking than that bishonen!"
The female half of the class erupted into argument, over which of the two was more attractive. All the boys sweatdropped, Tsugumi's brow twitched, and Naruto patted her on the shoulder in consolation.
Shu's eyes narrowed at the shorter of the two, as the duo took their seats, side-by-side in the back, behind Chitoge and Raku.
The Yakuza heir leaned over to his neighbor and whispered.
"Hey! Is this that Naruto? The one who couldn't put his pants on?"
"That's the one!" she hissed back, "And that's his partner, Tsugumi!"
"They're from the BeeHive right? What the hell are they doing here!?"
"Claude probably put them up to it! Just be cool until we find out what they're up to!"
Bonyari High
Class 1-C
May 21, 2014
8:32 A.M.
(Naruto)
"Ojou!"
My partner's face brightened as she rushed over and pulled her friend into a tight hug.
"It's been so long, Ojou!"
"Wha? What are you talking about?" the blonde tried to push her off, "It hasn't even been a week!"
The entire class burst into yelling again.
"Whoa~!? What the heck!?"
"The new student hugged Kirisaki-san!"
The girl finally managed to dislodge Tsugumi from her body.
"St-Stupid! What're you doing? Everyone's staring!"
"Ojou! I missed you so much!"
The girls' shouts changed in nature:
"What's going on?!"
"Looks like Ichijou's got some competition!"
"Is it Showdown Time!?"
And so did the guys':
"Dude, Ichijou doesn't stand a chance!"
"Yep. At least, as far as looks go."
"No contest there."
"Sh-Shut up!" he cried indignantly.
I sighed at the display, before walking up to the girl, offering out a fist.
"Nice to see ya' again, Chitoge."
She gladly bumped it with her own.
"You too, Naruto!"
Bonyari High
Class 1-C
May 21, 2014
10:30 A.M.
(Naruto)
(*BRIIIIIING*)
Class was dismissed for break at the bell, and Chitoge finally got to confront us.
"What are you both doing here? Did Claude send you?"
"Yeah, they were his orders," I said simply, "He wants us to stay with you and observe everything."
"...That's fine, but why're you dressed like that, Tsugumi?"
"Oh, this? I couldn't find the school's uniform anywhere, so I had to make do."
I let the girls chat, catching up on the past week, as I made my way over to Cross and Shu.
"Hey man," started the four-eyes, "Why's Seishirou-san dressed like that?"
"Huh? He just said he couldn't find the uniform anywhere…" said Cross, confused.
Shu frowned, "No, I meant-"
I cut him off, "You have a good eye there bro. Not many can tell at first glance."
He gave a small grin, "Well, I guess I'm not 'most people'."
He extended a hand, "I'm Shuu Maiko. And my friend here is Raku Ichijou."
I shook it, "Oh, I knew that. I blew his wall down just last week."
Shu gave his buddy a semi-surprised look, the other teen shaking his head.
"Don't ask…" he muttered.
"So, Mistress!" I heard Tsugumi say, "I was told that you have a boyfriend now!"
"H-Huh? Oh yeah! Right! Let me introduce you!"
"Agh!"
As soon as he was in range, the girl roughly yanked him to her side. I sweatdropped from my seat, Shu chuckling on my left.
"Tsugumi! This is Ichijou Raku! My...boyfriend."
That last part was said with a bit of disdain.
"Ah! I've heard so much about you!"
I leaned back and watched as the girl proceeded to brownnose the couple, before going reintroducing herself to the Yakuza heir, explaining exactly who she was.
"Huh? A childhood friend? Of gorilla here?"
"!"
"Hm? Gorilla?"
"I-It's nothing!" Chitoge cried, as she got Cross in a headlock, "Just a little inside joke."
I leaned over to Shu, "Hey, do you have any idea what's going on with those two? It's like one second they're all lovey-dovey, and the next they're at each other's throats."
He smiled lightly, shaking his head, "Your guess is as good as mine."
Bonyari High
Class 1-C
May 21, 2014
12:32 P.M.
(Naruto)
"Geez! I can feed myself, okay!?"
Cross and I merely stared as Tsugumi spoon-fed her Mistress. I know her constant fawning over Chitoge wasn't exactly old news, but in the 6 months since I'd met them, I still hadn't gotten used to it.
"Hey hey!" the girls whispered among themselves, "Don't you think those two would totally be good together?"
"I know right? They're so perfect!"
"I wonder if Kirisaki-san is some kind of princess?"
Shu made his way over with his lunch, putting a hand on Cross' shoulder.
"Hey, you okay Raku? Your rival seems like a formidable opponent indeed!"
"Shut up, dammit."
Watching as the assassin pulled a full tea set out of freaking nowhere, Cross irritably slurped his own tea (which came in the rather fancy form of a juice box from the school vending-machine).
"Ichijou-kun! Uzumaki-san!"
I turned my head to see Cross' other friends (Onodera and Miyamoto, I believe), standing behind us, holding their bento.
"Can we have lunch with you?"
Cross' face visibly brightened at the prospect of having lunch with his crush, and his ears turned slightly red at her close proximity.
"Sure, the more the merrier," I said, pulling five desks together.
Shu and I sat on either side of Cross, while Kosaki sat opposite him, with Ruri opposite me. Something Shu wasn't as happy about.
"Aw, Ruri-chan? What's wrong with sitting with me?"
She glared, "Too many to reasons to list, Maiko-kun."
I sweatdropped at the exchange, while the two girls opened their lunches.
"So, Uzumaki-san!" started Kosaki, "Why did you and Tsugumi-san transfer in the middle of the semester?"
"Business reasons," I said simply, "And call me Naruto. 'Uzumaki-san' makes me feel old."
"Really? Okay, call me Kosaki then!"
"You can call me Ruri then," said Miyamoto.
I nodded, smiling, "So, Kosaki and Ruri then? Nice to meet you!"
I glanced left at Cross, who was gaping at the fact that in two minutes, I'd done what he hadn't been able to in two years.
I smirked, leaving the teen looking rather depressed, as he sipped on his tea.
"So how do you and Tsugumi-san know Kirisaki-san?" asked Ruri.
I made a note of her use of honorifics. It seemed this girl was as clever as she looked.
"As you probably heard, the two of them are childhood friends," I said, pausing to drink the broth of my cup ramen, "Tsugumi and I are living together; we share an apartment uptown."
…
…
…
"EEEEEEHHHH!?"
The entire class (who'd probably been eavesdropping on the conversation, given their reaction) had exploded in shock. Kosaki had dropped the food in her chopsticks, and Cross did a spit-take, right into his friend's face.
"What? What's so wrong with that?" I asked, passing Shu a hand-towel I'd unsealed, which he gladly took.
"N-Nothing! It's just…wow!"
I stared blankly, wondering exactly what it was I said.
"You said that you and the girl were 'living together'," muttered Kurama, "They don't know she's a girl remember?"
'..Ohhh...'
'...Well, shit.'
"S-So you two l-live together then?" continued Onodera, "That's...nice…"
I saw the newly-dried Shu snickering, and even Ruri was stifling a smile.
'So he knows about it too, hm?' I took the towel back, sealing it away discreetly, 'Man, all the four-eyes here are super perceptive.'
After I cleared up the little misunderstanding (bringing an end to every fangirl's fantasy), Chitoge had walked off to use the bathroom, and Tsugumi approached.
"Ichijou-san…" she started, "Can I talk to you? Alone?"
The boy nodded, following her as they walked out of the room.
…
…
…
"So who wants to go eavesdrop?" I offered.
Shu stood up, pushing in his chair, "I like the way you think."
The girls looked at each other and shrugged, choosing to follow.
Bonyari High
Rooftop
May 21, 2014
12:43 P.M.
(Raku)
"Why'd we have to come up here just to talk?" I asked the boy.
He didn't respond, only asking his own question.
"Do you truly love the Mistress?"
"Wha? What are you-"
…
…
…
"I mean, of course I do!"
'Shit, that was close… Almost denied it...'
The BeeHive agent proceeded to bombard me with questions; at this point, my responses were pretty much automatic.
"How much do you love her?"
"A ton! I'm totally head-over-heels for her!"
"Really?"
"Of course!"
"Would you be willing to die for her?"
"Yeah! Definitely! Without a second thought!"
"Oh really? Thank you! You've really put my mind at ease! Now then…"
A revolver emerged from his blazer sleeve.
"...Please die."
"...Huh?"
The hitman disappeared in a blur, leaving behind a trail of smoke.
"Whaa-AGH!?"
He was suddenly upon me, hand pulling my right wrist downward, and the barrel of his gun pressed against the underside of my jaw.
Bonyari High
Stairwell
May 21, 2014
12:45 P.M.
(Shu)
That was what we saw through the window when we arrived. The new girl with a gun to the head of my best friend.
"Raku!"
"I-Ichijou-kun!"
I tried to reach for the door, but I was stopped by an extended arm from Naruto.
"What are you doing? We have to help him!" cried Onodera.
"Relax," he said, "Tsugumi isn't going to actually hurt him. It's just a scare tactic to get the truth out of him."
He lowered his arms, "Plus it isn't even a real gun. It's like one that you get in prank stores, where a flag that says "BANG!" pops out of the barrel."
I did calm down at that, but Onodera still looked rather worried. When he noticed, he continued.
"C'mon, there's nothing to worry about. Besides, he's gotten out of worse situations before, right?"
I nodded in agreement, before the blond stiffened.
"Someone's coming! Everyone hide!"
"Hide where?" asked Miyamoto sarcastically, "It's a narrow hallway; there's nowhere to go!"
He shook his head, pulling from his sleeves what appeared to be two large, black tarps.
"Just hold it up in front of you," he said, demonstrating, "In this kind of lighting, it'll probably manage."
He leaned against the wall, pulling Kosaki with him. He handed me the other tarp, with upon touching it, I discovered was actually fine cloth.
I followed suit, taking Ruri with our backs to the wall, as I held it up.
"There's no way this is actually going to work…" she muttered.
"Shh! They're coming!"
I was able to catch a glimpse of strawberry blonde hair that trailed behind the person as they climbed the stairs. Chitoge opened the door, just wide enough to hear:
"She's my girlfriend, you jerk! And I won't let anyone take her away!"
Bonyari High
Rooftop
May 21, 2014
12:47 P.M.
(Raku)
'Oh man… I can't believe I just said that...' I thought to myself, 'Calling her my girlfriend outright like that...man it's embarrassing.'
"...I see."
The boy before me started radiating this dark, murderous aura that dropped on me like an anvil. The temperature seemed to drop several degrees and he glared at me with those demonic eyes.
"Your girlfriend...Is that so? You think you're more suited to stand at her side? Interesting…"
"Meep!"
...It wasn't exactly the manliest sound I'd ever made, but with the current circumstances, who could blame me?
"Wait! Both of you! Hold it right there!"
I almost fainted in relief. Chitoge! She'd be able to talk some sense into this guy, right?
"Tsugumi...Darling...What's this all about? Can't we all get along?"
The BeeHive agent extended an arm before his Mistress, as if he were shielding her from me.
"Ojou...Please don't interfere."
"I'm sorry...But I can not permit you to be with this man."
"W-Wha?"
"Don't you remember...the promise we made ten years ago?"
That got me interested. A promise ten years ago? Just like me and...what's-her-name.
"That day...I made a pledge to get stronger...strong enough to protect you," he said, clenching his fist, "And since then I've trained relentlessly! Austerity and rigor! Day in and day out! The blood, sweat and tears I have shed...they have made me strong!"
We both sweatdropped at the rather lame training-montage that was put before us.
"And now you're telling me...that the man who is to be my Mistress' protector is this pitiful weakling of a bean sprout?! I won't have it!"
'Ouch.'
"Ojou is the heiress to the BeeHive! One of the strongest gangster syndicates in the world! If you really believe you can protect her...then you'll have to really impress me with your so-called strength!"
"Raku Ichijou! I challenge you to a duel! The winner will be the Mistress' protector!"
…
…
…
"You mean, with cards and stuff?" I asked hopefully.
In retrospect, I remember hearing four simultaneous facepalms coming from the stairwell.
"If you're tough enough to beat me...I'll recognize you as worthy. But if I win…"
He gave me a thumbs-down, "You'll die a slow, painful death!"
He walked off, "This afternoon, in the courtyard. And if you don't show…"
"...I'll hunt you down and kill you."
He shut the door behind him with a loud *SLAM*.
…
...
"...He didn't answer my question."
(*WHAP*)
"Ack! Hey!"
Kirisaki withdrew her hand from where she'd slapped me upside the head.
"You moron! What'd you have to go and do that for!? Tsugumi's gonna' kill you now!"
"Wha? So you knew that guy was crazy!?"
She nodded, "Tsugumi was an orphan Claude took in as a child. Under his supervision, Tsugumi underwent a regiment of specialized training to become a top-notch assassin."
"A-Assassin!?"
"Also, a couple years back, a group of grunts from a rival gang were bothering me. Tsugumi wiped them and their entire base off the face of the Earth in under two hours."
"Th-The whole gang!?"
"Yeah. And it was a particularly vicious one that we'd been having trouble with for a long time."
"What!? Nobody told me that!? And I'm supposed to be fighting this guy!?"
"You dug your own grave on this one, stupid beansprout! You're the one who got him all pissed!"
"Huh!? I didn't do anything! And isn't he on your side? Can't you explain our situation and get him to understand?"
"Not a chance. Once Tsugumi gets worked up, there's no use in even trying."
"Well what are we gonna' do!? If I lose, the whole city's doomed!"
"Don't look at me! You made your bed. Sleep in it! Baka!"
Bonyari High
Stairwell
May 21, 2014
12:53 P.M.
(Naruto)
"Ohh, what are we gonna' do? We can't let the two fight! One of them might get hurt!"
"...That's kinda' what fighting is, Kosaki," I deadpanned.
Shu put a hand on her shoulder, "Well in this circumstance, there's only one thing to do!"
"...Set up a betting pool?"
He chuckled, "It's like you know me already."
Bonyari High
Courtyard
May 21, 2014
5:43 P.M.
(Raku)
"Hmph. Least you had the nerve to show up."
"Well...I wouldn't wanna' wuss out in front of Honey, now would I? But you mind if I ask you something?"
"...What's with the peanut gallery?"
It was true. It seemed like half the school had decided to show up. As to which half it was?
"KYAAAA! TSUGUMI-KUUUN!"
...You get one guess.
"Step right up ladies and...ladies! Place your bets! One lunch ticket per bet!"
"Three tickets on Tsugumi-kun!"
"I bet ten tickets!"
"Fifty tickets on Ichijou!"
The entire crowd went silent at the declaration, as the blond who'd spoken shrugged his shoulders.
"What?" he shrugged, "Someone's gotta' root for the underdog."
Tsugumi's eye twitched. Apparently his own roommate was betting against him, and he wasn't too happy about it.
He procured a coin from his breast pocket. I recognized it as an American quarter.
"When this coin hits the ground...the duel begins. Have you said your prayers?"
With a (*PING*) the coin was airborne. I placed my right fist against my left palm, cracking my knuckles.
'Well, here goes nothing. I've never been in a fist fight before, but-"
(*K-TINK*)
'I'm gonna' give it my best sho-'
(*KA-BLAM*)
I felt a rush of air as a bullet streaked right past my cheek.
"HOLY SHIIIIIT!" I cried, running for dear life.
"Get back here!" he shouted, chasing after me.
Bonyari High
Courtyard
May 21, 2014
5:45 P.M.
(Chitoge)
"Is that thing real!?" I heard one student ask.
"As if!" another laughed.
'That moron...He expected a fist-fight?'
I turned and faced the wind; the direction that they'd gone.
'Good luck...Aho-Moyashi...'
I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned. My other bodyguard was standing there, staring at the trail of destruction his partner had left.
"Don't worry," he said, "I'll make sure your boyfriend stays safe."
He then vanished in a flash of orange light.
Bonyari High
Lockers
May 21, 2014
5:46 P.M.
(Naruto)
"Get back here! Fight like a man, damn you!"
"AAAAAAAGH!"
I sweatdropped, as Cross barely managed to dodge the hail of bullets that flew by.
"Dammit Cross," I muttered.
As soon as Tsugumi passed, I pulled the Hiraishin seal I'd planted off the wall, and followed.
The two were in the hallway now, Cross barely ducking a rocket that sailed over his head, the fiery trail singeing the edges of his hair. He swatted at it, reducing the flames to cinders and smoke.
"You coward of a man! There's no fucking way that you can protect Ojou!" she shouted angrily.
"I was right all along! It's me or nobody!"
He dodged another flurry of bullets, as they rounded another corner, ascending a flight of stairs.
"Ack! What's with all this 'protection' shit anyway?!" he called over his shoulder, "You really don't know her at all, do you?!"
"What the hell'd you just say!?"
"She isn't some fragile, defenseless waif in need of protection!"
"You're the one who isn't being a man!" he roared, "If you're a man, control yourself and give her some space!"
He leapt off the stairwell into the hallway, pushing a stack of desks over and into the hall, attempting to slow down his opponent.
Of course, he didn't know Tsugumi very well.
The woman barreled through the makeshift barricade like a comet, making a mad dash for the teen, intent on ending his life.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING UNMANLY!? I'LL KILL YOU!"
"That's what sets you off!?"
I sweatdropped again. This time in the opposite direction, considering I was on the ceiling and all.
"How dare you! I'm hating you more and more every second!"
I saw Cross glancing out the window as he ran, seeming to look for something. My eyes widened as I realized his plan.
'Clever bastard… At this height, it just might work...'
Finding what he'd been looking for, he threw open the first window he could, leaping out of it with the little momentum he had.
"Hey!" she shouted, jumping after him, "Where do you think you're-"
"-going…"
She stopped upon realizing what was below them.
Cross smirked.
"Time to cool off!"
I facepalmed at the crappy one-liner, as they both hit the water with a tremendous (*K-PLSH*).
Bonyari High
Courtyard
May 21, 2014
5:49 P.M.
(Shu)
"Holy Crap!"
I looked up from counting the tickets to see the two jump out a window on the third floor.
The worry I felt was replaced with relief as I heard the huge (*SPLASH*).
'Ah, Raku… way to think outside the box.'
"Are they okay?!"
"C'mon! Let's go see!"
Bonyari High
Pool
May 21, 2014
5:50 P.M.
(Raku)
(*SPLOOSH*)
"PWAAH!"
I spit the chlorinated liquid from my mouth, as I began treading water to stay afloat. Tsugumi was next to me, knocked out.
'Huh. I guess I won then.'
I grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and used the advanced-backstroke to reach the ladder, where I was able to pull us both out of the water.
'Okay...now what? If I wake him up, we'll be back where we started.'
(*KAPP...KAPP...KAPP*)
I turned to see Naruto, slowly clapping as he approached.
"Congratulations, Cross," he said, "Looks like you won the day."
My brow twitched, "I have a name you know."
He gave me a flat look, "Your name is stupid. You entire story revolves around your pendant with a keyhole, and your name is 'Lock'."
…
…
"...Huh. I never noticed that before."
He pointed to his head, "You got that cross-shaped hairpin though. Hence, 'Cross'."
I nodded in begrudging understanding. He hefted his partner over his shoulder, unfazed by the water that began to seep through his clothes.
"And since you fought so 'valiantly'," he started, "I'll let you in on a little secret."
"Huh?"
The blond smirked, "Tsugumi's a girl."
And he disappeared in an orange light.
…
…
…
"WHAT!?"
Bonyari High
Pool
May 21, 2014
5:52 P.M.
(Chitoge)
"I-Ichijou-kun!?"
"Darling! Are you alright!?"
The group approached the boy, who was looking flustered, and downright mortified.
"Wh-Where's Tsugumi?"
He looked to me, "Kirisaki! Naruto came by and picked him up. He was totally out of it!"
The crowd erupted into shock.
"Eeeh!? Tsugumi-kun lost!?"
"That's impossible!"
"Oh no! I bet ten tickets on him…"
I shook my head, "So Naruto took Tsugumi then?"
"Yeah! He said the weirdest thing too..."
"Huh? What was it?"
By this point, the crowd had settled down, and they tried to listen to what he was saying.
"He said Tsugumi was a girl. Crazy right?"
I raised an eyebrow, "Why's that weird? Tsugumi is a girl."
…
…
…
"EEEEEHHHH?!"
Bonyari High
Trees
May 21, 2014
7:03 P.M.
(Tsugumi)
"N-Ngh…"
My eyes fluttered open, squinting as they adjusted to the light. I rubbed my eyelids but paused as I realized my hand was wet.
I sat up in surprise as it all came rushing back. The fight, the beansprout calling me unmanly, and then... falling into the pool.
'Crap...Does this mean I lost?'
I adjusted my back, feeling the rough bark of the tree I was leaning against. I still had my soaked shirt on, and it squelched every time I moved. Over that, I recognized a familiar jacket draped over my torso like a blanket.
I looked up at my partner, not paying me any attention as he simply stared at the setting sun, a small smile on his face. His blue eyes were full of happine-no... Satisfaction. That was the word.
The wind started to pick up. The 'tails' of Naruto's headband began to sway lightly in the breeze, and leaves began to swirl in the air. But with my damp clothes, the light gust felt like a blizzard, the warmth of Naruto's jacket the only thing shielding me from the cold.
Regardless, I hugged my knees to my chest as I shivered. I wrapped the black coat around my body and over my head, sheltering my wet, midnight locks from the frigid air. I took a deep breath as several scents wafted over me.
Most were expected, like the sharp stinging odor of newly-cut grass, or the metallic tang of the rusting fence. But one stood out above the others.
It was a mix of a lot of things. Like fresh, tree leaves, the city streets after a light rain, the ocean after a storm... It was homey...comforting...and nice.
Then I realized where it was coming from.
'...So this is...'
'...Naruto's scent...'
"Um, are you okay?"
I looked up at my partner, to see him smiling down at me.
"Or do you want to sniff my jacket for a bit longer?"
I growled, reaching for the gun at my hip, only to find it wasn't there.
He laughed, "Sorry about that. But most of your arsenal got damaged by the water, and by the time I got you outta' there, it was already too late."
I nodded, standing up and wrapping the jacket around my shoulders. I buttoned the topmost one but didn't put my arms through the sleeves, leaving the rest to fall around my body like a cape.
"So are you alright? You're not hurt are you?"
I shook my head, "No, I'm fine. Thanks for lending me your jacket.
"Oh yeah, no prob," he said, jumping down, "It's the least I could do."
He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the tree, "I left your clothes up there a while ago. They should be dry by now."
"O-Oh... thank you."
I took the pants off the branch and slid them on. They still reeked of chlorine; I made a note to wash them when we got home.
I then pulled down the blazer, which was still slightly damp. Like he'd said, the weapons were completely ruined; I'd have to restock as soon as possible.
(*Achoo!*)
I had sneezed into my elbow, "Well, it looks like I'm sick now…"
"Well, you did fall into a pool two hours ago."
He looked up at the sky, "He's one clever kid."
I remembered something, "Hey, you bet against me, right? What the hell was that about?"
He chuckled, "It was like I said then. Somebody has to root for the underdog. Who knows? They might surprise you."
He looked back at me, "And he certainly did. He technically won that duel."
I glared, "He so did not! That wasn't a real showdown! The whole point was to prove he could protect the Mistress! Which he didn't!"
"He proved that he could outrun you," he listed, "He knows how to think on his feet. And he was able to piss you off to the point where you would even consider jumping out of a three-story building onto concrete."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
He gripped me by the shoulders, "God, what were you thinking? What if there hadn't been a pool there?! You still would've jumped after him, right!? And where would you be now?!"
"Hey! I wasn't thinking straight, alright! I'm sorry! I know I messed up, so don't yell at me!"
…
…
His expression softened, "Okay...yeah. Sorry for freaking out."
"It's just…"
"...I don't wanna' lose you."
I looked up in surprise, as he averted his gaze and flushed.
"Because...we're great partners and all…" he scratched his cheek with his index finger, "...and I'd hate to have to work with some random guy just 'cause you made some silly mistake, and-"
He stopped upon hearing me laugh.
I smiled, "Relax, Whiskers."
"I'm not going anywhere."
BeeHive HQ
Common
May 22, 2014
8:15 A.M.
(Naruto)
I walked into the common, ready for school, scanning the room for my partner.
We'd slept at the BeeHive HQ last night, since our apartment was a little far, and Tsugumi was rather tired. But when I'd woken up, she wasn't there.
"Hey Johnson!" I approached the man, who was idly shuffling his cards in the corner, "You seen Seishirou?"
It'd been agreed that we call Tsugumi by her first name until her true gender was common knowledge among the gang. She'd thought it was a good idea, so we went with it.
"I saw him heading out to school with Chitoge-sama," he grinned, "They left out back, a little while ago."
"Out back?" I muttered, "That's weird."
He chuckled, going back to his cards.
"...Hey, what's up? You got that look on your face."
"Hm?" he glanced up at me, "What look?"
"The look that says 'I know something you don't'. Now spill it."
"Maa, maa, Naruto-kun. I figured you'd be used to that look by now."
I gave a dry laugh, "Ha ha. But seriously, what is it?"
He grinned again, "You'll find out when you get to school. Now run along."
I gave the man a half-hearted glare over my shoulder as I walked off, to which he chuckled again. I guess I shouldn't be angry with the guy; when he withholds information, it's usually for your own good, or your best interest.
Or sometimes, he just liked to fuck with you.
Bonyari High
Class 1-C
May 22, 2014
8:24 A.M.
(Naruto)
I arrived at the school unsure what to expect. But as soon as I entered our hallway, I saw all the people piled around the door and knew something was up.
"Hey guys!" I approached one of the guys from my class (Yamada, I think his name was), "What's going on?"
He looked over at me, "Well, you know your roommate's a girl, right?"
"Noooo…" I deadpanned, "I had no idea."
He sweatdropped, "Well, Kirisaki-san got her to dress the part…"
I raised an eyebrow as I forced my way through the crowd, finally making it through to the classroom.
"N-Naruto!"
"Ts-Tsugumi!?"
The girl certainly was dressing the part. She wore the standard girl's uniform for Bonyari High, complete with the sailor uniform-like top, orange clipped tie, and blue miniskirt. She also wore a light-blue ribbon in her hair, in the same spot Cross put his.
I grinned, "That ribbon looks great on you. It's pretty cute!"
Cross passed by in the hallway, carrying a stack of books, "I agree. It really suits you."
Our comments were met with gunfire, which we both barely dodged.
Well, that's a wrap for this chapter! This one was about 1k words shorter and covered only 2 chapters, but the next one will cover chapters 18-20!
'Til then!
-Objection234 (Akane Sasu Sora on YouTube)