"Umai!" Rika exclaimed despite herself. Rukawa suddenly stopped his eating
and stared at her. "Oh, uh, sorry about that...I just didn't think you
could cook this well. Not to offend, that is."
Rukawa shrugged and continued. Rika gave a sigh of relief. 'Man...he even cooks better than I do. This is so...humiliating. I'm never inviting him to the house if I'm the one who'll be cooking.' Before either of them knew it, she was already asking him where to put the dishes when he had finished a bit more than half of his. Erasing the surprise in his mind, Rukawa motioned to the kitchen and as she walked toward it, his eyes trailed behind her.
Rika felt him stare at her and felt her cheeks grow warm...warmer than usual. 'Am I feverish now? Don't think so; I feel pretty much the same. Just stop staring behind me, Kaede.'
Rukawa immediately snapped out of his contemplation and hurriedly ate his food. 'Why am I staring at her? Ahou ga Kaede! She's just another girl; just like the others.' When he had finished and placed his own in the kitchen, he motioned for her to follow him as he went upstairs getting his bag from the couch.
Rukawa opened the door which had the sign, "Jigoku no Kaede" (Kaede's hell) with fiery sparks at the sides. He went in the room expecting her to follow and placed his bag beside his study table. Everything was still spick and span. He looked behind him and didn't see her anywhere. "Where are you?" he called in a cold tone.
"I can't come in," she called from outside his room, "This is your room and according to ethics, a female must not invade a male's territory and vice versa."
"Drop that ethic thing." Rukawa commanded, "This is the only place where you can make me study since there is not other thing to distract me. Now, come in here and let's get this thing over with."
"If you say so, Kaede." Rika shrugged and entered still amazed at how neat he had kept his house, "Then I will seeing that you are the master of this abode."
"Why are you calling me by my first name?" he asked quite annoyed at her sudden naming him with his first name.
"You told me to drop the ethics, Kaede," she reasoned out, "So I did. If you want me to return the ethics thing, I'll be heading back outside since what I am doing is unethical."
Rukawa growled in his throat. He sat on his chair and slapped a book on the table. "Teach. The papers are here and so with the pens."
"2nd year math...calculus." she scanned through the pages and nodded her head. "I think I can help you with this. What is it do you find difficult?"
"Chapter 1," Rukawa glared.
"Oh, yeah. Classes have just begun, so you couldn't have gotten far yet," she scratched her head, "Sorry, I forgot about that.
"Hmm...chapter 1 - Review of Derivatives and Anti-derivatives," she gave her shoulders a shrug. "All right let's start with getting the derivative and the anti-derivative of 12x²+6x-9. That's an easy one. Do you know how to get it?" Rukawa shook his head. "Do you even know the basic rules of looking for the derivatives and anti-derivatives of the function?" he shook his head again. "Do you even know what derivatives and anti-derivatives are?" his shoulders shrugged. Rika proceeded to explain to him everything step by step and occasionally tapping him on the head with a pencil when he couldn't get it. Nonetheless, he was attentive and that mattered a lot. "And that's how you get 24x+6 for the derivative and 4x³+3x²-9x+C for the anti-derivative."
"How did you know all this?" Rukawa asked, "That is taught as the last topic for you first years."
"I had an...advanced lesson on this." She said and suddenly memories came flooding back. They were nothing but old, despicable, destructive, discrediting memories. Her brain just stopped for no reason at all. She found her buried emotions once again and tried to push them away for tens of times until she finally succeeded.
It was then that she heard Rukawa's voice echo through her, "Oi, wake up! What's wrong with you?"
She suddenly looked up at him and saw his eyes. Were her eyes deceiving her or did she see concern on them? With her blinking went the expression that Rukawa wore. "I'm sorry about that. It was just...a flashback. So then," she said getting back her old self, "shall we continue?"
Rukawa sighed in relief - which Rika heard - and sat back down. 'Why was I so concerned? What's wrong with me? I think I need to wake myself up.' "Listen," he said absently touching her shoulder, "I'm going to go to the washroom. You stay here."
She nodded slightly, quite surprised at the sudden change he was having and stared after him. 'Maybe ojii-san IS right. I just misunderstood him. But, something tells me he's not usually like this. I should never have gone inside.'
***
Rukawa stared at his reflection in the mirror. "What's wrong with you, Kaede?" he asked himself, "She is no different from other girls. They are all the same! Why do you still think of her as if you're the fan?" He dunked his head in a pail full of water and looked at his reflection. He felt better; just like his old self again.
When he was about to go back, though, he noticed something. Her eyes were slightly turning silver; just like the first time he scrutinized her in the gym. He wasn't hallucinating, then. But, why was it changing. No one's iris ever changes in color; unless they're aliens, that is.
He continued to walk to his room and sensed uneasiness nearby. He peered through his door and saw the girl he left stiff as if holding what she had left of her sanity. It seemed to be happening again...whatever it was. He approached slowly, "Hey," he started. She did not respond again. 'Hell, not again.' He thought. "Hey, come on. What's wrong with you?" Rukawa demanded, "Don't pass out on me, dou ahou. Snap out of it, hey!" He kneeled across her sitting form, which was now on the floor, and took hold of her shoulders.
"No! Stop! No more, please..." she cried out weakly and curled herself in her own world.
"What? What's happening?" he asked, now certainly worried. Was she mad or something? He didn't want to be blamed whatever happened to her; that's the last thing he ever wanted to happen. "Hey, tell me what it is. I may be able to help you."
"I'm not a lab rat..."she said sobbing but not a tear was evident to prove it, "I-I'm not something to be tested with different chemicals to become a superhuman subject to complete obedience. I'm a human...a human darn you!" Her shoulders shook, but still Rukawa could find no tear and he found her temperature had risen. "I'm not a weapon," she continued, "Why are you doing this, dad? I don't want this strength, I don't want your experiments to get rid of my emotions. I'm trying hard to get them back. I'm a human...I'm just like you...just like everyone."
With that, she fainted and Rukawa brought her to his bed. Her breathing was deep and he did not know if it was wise to call the doctors. He doesn't want a lot of audience. 'What the hell is all that?' he looked at her as if expecting an answer. 'Is it all true?' He asked himself after a long thought.
"Akira...Sendou," she whispered again, "I hate you...thought I could trust you with...why did you tell...thought you're a friend; you're not. I want to...kill you...I can't...bound to my own oath."
"Sendou?" Rukawa repeated his name in surprise. "You know him. You must be having a fever dream. I better get a cold towel." 'If this gets worse, I'll never forgive you.' He berated himself stubbornly. He wasn't going to let anyone stay sick in his house and he absolutely wanted no one to know of it either. The only problem is, he doesn't know how to take care of a sick person.
He thought for a while, 'If you did cause this, then you must do something about it. But then again, I could just ask okaa-san; I know she'll do a better job.' He remembered what happened last time his mother was there. He had a never ending lecture from her and a discontented frown plastered on her face. 'Then again, Sendou doesn't have the right to anything so he can't lecture me, problem is, where is he?'
The problem he now had vexed him and he called to her in a loud voice as if she could hear what he would say, "Nice time to get sick." Although he said it, he hurried up to the room bothered by her malady. All he wanted, then and there, was for her to get well so that he wouldn't have to problem her any longer.
***
Sofia/3sh: My deepest gratitude to you. I may be running a little late on the later chaps because of layers of school work. Hope to hear from you soon.
Watashi no hitori de kokoro wa kiztsuku...
Rukawa shrugged and continued. Rika gave a sigh of relief. 'Man...he even cooks better than I do. This is so...humiliating. I'm never inviting him to the house if I'm the one who'll be cooking.' Before either of them knew it, she was already asking him where to put the dishes when he had finished a bit more than half of his. Erasing the surprise in his mind, Rukawa motioned to the kitchen and as she walked toward it, his eyes trailed behind her.
Rika felt him stare at her and felt her cheeks grow warm...warmer than usual. 'Am I feverish now? Don't think so; I feel pretty much the same. Just stop staring behind me, Kaede.'
Rukawa immediately snapped out of his contemplation and hurriedly ate his food. 'Why am I staring at her? Ahou ga Kaede! She's just another girl; just like the others.' When he had finished and placed his own in the kitchen, he motioned for her to follow him as he went upstairs getting his bag from the couch.
Rukawa opened the door which had the sign, "Jigoku no Kaede" (Kaede's hell) with fiery sparks at the sides. He went in the room expecting her to follow and placed his bag beside his study table. Everything was still spick and span. He looked behind him and didn't see her anywhere. "Where are you?" he called in a cold tone.
"I can't come in," she called from outside his room, "This is your room and according to ethics, a female must not invade a male's territory and vice versa."
"Drop that ethic thing." Rukawa commanded, "This is the only place where you can make me study since there is not other thing to distract me. Now, come in here and let's get this thing over with."
"If you say so, Kaede." Rika shrugged and entered still amazed at how neat he had kept his house, "Then I will seeing that you are the master of this abode."
"Why are you calling me by my first name?" he asked quite annoyed at her sudden naming him with his first name.
"You told me to drop the ethics, Kaede," she reasoned out, "So I did. If you want me to return the ethics thing, I'll be heading back outside since what I am doing is unethical."
Rukawa growled in his throat. He sat on his chair and slapped a book on the table. "Teach. The papers are here and so with the pens."
"2nd year math...calculus." she scanned through the pages and nodded her head. "I think I can help you with this. What is it do you find difficult?"
"Chapter 1," Rukawa glared.
"Oh, yeah. Classes have just begun, so you couldn't have gotten far yet," she scratched her head, "Sorry, I forgot about that.
"Hmm...chapter 1 - Review of Derivatives and Anti-derivatives," she gave her shoulders a shrug. "All right let's start with getting the derivative and the anti-derivative of 12x²+6x-9. That's an easy one. Do you know how to get it?" Rukawa shook his head. "Do you even know the basic rules of looking for the derivatives and anti-derivatives of the function?" he shook his head again. "Do you even know what derivatives and anti-derivatives are?" his shoulders shrugged. Rika proceeded to explain to him everything step by step and occasionally tapping him on the head with a pencil when he couldn't get it. Nonetheless, he was attentive and that mattered a lot. "And that's how you get 24x+6 for the derivative and 4x³+3x²-9x+C for the anti-derivative."
"How did you know all this?" Rukawa asked, "That is taught as the last topic for you first years."
"I had an...advanced lesson on this." She said and suddenly memories came flooding back. They were nothing but old, despicable, destructive, discrediting memories. Her brain just stopped for no reason at all. She found her buried emotions once again and tried to push them away for tens of times until she finally succeeded.
It was then that she heard Rukawa's voice echo through her, "Oi, wake up! What's wrong with you?"
She suddenly looked up at him and saw his eyes. Were her eyes deceiving her or did she see concern on them? With her blinking went the expression that Rukawa wore. "I'm sorry about that. It was just...a flashback. So then," she said getting back her old self, "shall we continue?"
Rukawa sighed in relief - which Rika heard - and sat back down. 'Why was I so concerned? What's wrong with me? I think I need to wake myself up.' "Listen," he said absently touching her shoulder, "I'm going to go to the washroom. You stay here."
She nodded slightly, quite surprised at the sudden change he was having and stared after him. 'Maybe ojii-san IS right. I just misunderstood him. But, something tells me he's not usually like this. I should never have gone inside.'
***
Rukawa stared at his reflection in the mirror. "What's wrong with you, Kaede?" he asked himself, "She is no different from other girls. They are all the same! Why do you still think of her as if you're the fan?" He dunked his head in a pail full of water and looked at his reflection. He felt better; just like his old self again.
When he was about to go back, though, he noticed something. Her eyes were slightly turning silver; just like the first time he scrutinized her in the gym. He wasn't hallucinating, then. But, why was it changing. No one's iris ever changes in color; unless they're aliens, that is.
He continued to walk to his room and sensed uneasiness nearby. He peered through his door and saw the girl he left stiff as if holding what she had left of her sanity. It seemed to be happening again...whatever it was. He approached slowly, "Hey," he started. She did not respond again. 'Hell, not again.' He thought. "Hey, come on. What's wrong with you?" Rukawa demanded, "Don't pass out on me, dou ahou. Snap out of it, hey!" He kneeled across her sitting form, which was now on the floor, and took hold of her shoulders.
"No! Stop! No more, please..." she cried out weakly and curled herself in her own world.
"What? What's happening?" he asked, now certainly worried. Was she mad or something? He didn't want to be blamed whatever happened to her; that's the last thing he ever wanted to happen. "Hey, tell me what it is. I may be able to help you."
"I'm not a lab rat..."she said sobbing but not a tear was evident to prove it, "I-I'm not something to be tested with different chemicals to become a superhuman subject to complete obedience. I'm a human...a human darn you!" Her shoulders shook, but still Rukawa could find no tear and he found her temperature had risen. "I'm not a weapon," she continued, "Why are you doing this, dad? I don't want this strength, I don't want your experiments to get rid of my emotions. I'm trying hard to get them back. I'm a human...I'm just like you...just like everyone."
With that, she fainted and Rukawa brought her to his bed. Her breathing was deep and he did not know if it was wise to call the doctors. He doesn't want a lot of audience. 'What the hell is all that?' he looked at her as if expecting an answer. 'Is it all true?' He asked himself after a long thought.
"Akira...Sendou," she whispered again, "I hate you...thought I could trust you with...why did you tell...thought you're a friend; you're not. I want to...kill you...I can't...bound to my own oath."
"Sendou?" Rukawa repeated his name in surprise. "You know him. You must be having a fever dream. I better get a cold towel." 'If this gets worse, I'll never forgive you.' He berated himself stubbornly. He wasn't going to let anyone stay sick in his house and he absolutely wanted no one to know of it either. The only problem is, he doesn't know how to take care of a sick person.
He thought for a while, 'If you did cause this, then you must do something about it. But then again, I could just ask okaa-san; I know she'll do a better job.' He remembered what happened last time his mother was there. He had a never ending lecture from her and a discontented frown plastered on her face. 'Then again, Sendou doesn't have the right to anything so he can't lecture me, problem is, where is he?'
The problem he now had vexed him and he called to her in a loud voice as if she could hear what he would say, "Nice time to get sick." Although he said it, he hurried up to the room bothered by her malady. All he wanted, then and there, was for her to get well so that he wouldn't have to problem her any longer.
***
Sofia/3sh: My deepest gratitude to you. I may be running a little late on the later chaps because of layers of school work. Hope to hear from you soon.
Watashi no hitori de kokoro wa kiztsuku...