Chapter Nine
With my classroom happening to be right across from one of Kotoko's, I had expected an occasional disruption. But so far this year, I hadn't had one. She'd been studying hard.
However, today, a disruption finally came through the classroom door.
"Make way!" I heard being shouted, along with the squeaking of shoes against the floor. I turned to see a group of my classmates fan out in the hall.
And then I saw Kamogari Keita running with Kotoko in his arms.
First, I wondered what had happened to her. And then my thoughts went straight to Keita. My teeth ground together, my head ready to pop off.
I indicated to my professor that I would be back as I headed out of the classroom and into the hall. A few watched me leave.
This was when I was approached by Marina.
"Kotoko fainted in class just now," she said, "She pricked her finger and the blood made her pass out."
Passes out at the sight of blood, but wants to be a nurse… that sure is like her.
"And Keita…?" I said, my eyes lingering down the hall.
"He was the only one of us strong enough to carry her." And I'd have bet he was all too willing. He was way too close to her for it to be appropriate and whether she knew it or not, Keita had more feelings for her than just friendship.
The qualities he possessed were ones I recognized in myself when I'd been falling for her. The wanting to touch her, protect her, and glare down any others who thought the same way. And he was stupid if he thought I couldn't tell where he was wanting to go with this.
My feet instinctively began heading for the nurse's office. I couldn't trust him to be alone with her, that maybe he might try something on her. I dared him to touch her.
I slowed down as I arrived, careful to make a sound. I had to see what he was up to when he thought he wasn't being watched.
Kotoko laid in one of the cots, tucked in and sleeping peacefully. Keita stood by and watched.
"I keep seeing this person's sleeping face." He said to himself.
He smiled, though just faintly. That was when he leaned down toward her.
Too close.
"What are you going to do from there?" I said. His nerve to try kissing her caused a newfound hatred to pick at every nerve in my body. This man must not have known her very well to think she would've been okay with this. Or maybe he simply didn't care.
Keita stopped in his tracks and spun around.
"I haven't done anything," He said, although that hadn't been what I'd asked, "Are you kidding? Why would I want to do anything with her?" He put his hands on his hips in a defensive stance.
"It didn't look that way to me," His eyes darted about the room, caught, "I heard you carried her here. Sorry for all the trouble "this person" has caused." I said, not breaking eye contact with him once, daring him to make a move or say anything else out of line.
I headed over to her bedside but he stayed where he was, now still as ever. His presence made my blood boil.
"I'm here now, so it's okay for you to get back to class." I said as I fought the urge to snap at him.
"I was going to anyway. You don't have to tell me." He strutted to the door, but I couldn't resist saying something about this incident.
"Kamogari," I began, "You know she's married to me, right? This interest you have in her needs to go away." He took a large pause, in which he stared out into the hallway.
"I care for Kotoko much more than you do," Oh, so now he knew her name? "And I could definitely treat her better than you."
"Is that so?" Who was he to know how much I cared for Kotoko? He certainly hadn't been around enough to know.
"Yes, it is. I think I'm better for her than you. You're so cold to her. And I'm not backing down whether you're married or not." The look he gave me was something fierce and serious at that. But the day I married Kotoko… no, the day I confessed to her… was the day I decided I was never going to let anyone else have her. And I doubted she would disagree with that.
"Then you're dumber than I thought you were." I said.
Keita let out an exasperated half-laugh and left without saying anything else. Last year when I'd kissed her while she was asleep, it was something I knew she would've consented to, since she loved me too. But he had crossed a line in even just trying to. Kotoko didn't love him.
She loved me. Just me.
